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20 suspected Al-Shabaab members arrested in Somali capital

Xinhua, November 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 20 people suspected to be members of Islamist group Al-Shabaab were arrested in an operation in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Saturday night, police said.

Banadir region police chief, Bashir Abshir Gedi, told journalists troops from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali soldiers carried out the operation in Hamar Jajab and Waberi districts in Mogadishu to hunt down Al-Shabaab suspects.

"These people (suspects) were planning attacks on the city but our intelligence helped us arrest them before they could do anything," Gedi said.

Al-Shbaab has been fighting against the Somali government for years, staging frequent attacks in the country.

The operation comes as Mogadishu prepares for presidential election scheduled for Nov. 30. Parliamentary elections are ongoing in various parts of the country.

AMISOM and Somali forces have beefed up security in Mogadishu ahead of the election, erecting security barriers and putting up checks on vehicles during day and night. Endit