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Horn of Africa Nations Should Boost Counterterrorism Cooperation: Ethiopian Senior Official

© AP Photo / Farah Abdi WarsamehMasked Somali national army (SNA) soldiers search through homes for al-Shabaab fighters
Masked Somali national army (SNA) soldiers search through homes for al-Shabaab fighters - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 11.08.2023
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Somalia has recently ramped up its offensive against terrorist groups that have threatened the stability of the state since the mid-2000s and have become active in other neighboring countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya.
Senior security officials from Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Seychelles have convened a consultative conference in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa to encourage the Horn to step up cooperation to prevent and control the threats of terrorism and cross-border crime, local media has said.
Enhanced engagement is a necessity given that the East African region is convenient for terrorists, who still pose a major security threat, Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) Deputy Director General Tazeir Gebre-Egziabher noted.

The high-ranking official cited danger from terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab* and Daesh*, which have spread their networks across the region to carry out criminal activities.

These groups, as he pointed out, have made "relentless efforts" to support each other financially, in terms of personnel, training and facilities in order to expand their "destructive conspiracy."
In this file photo of Thursday Oct.21, 2010, Al-Shabaab fighters display weapons as they conduct military exercises in northern Mogadishu, Somalia - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 08.08.2023
Ethiopia Arrests Over 3,000 People Suspected of Involvement in Terrorist Groups, Illegal Activities
On Tuesday, NISS reported that more than 3,000 people in Ethiopia have been arrested suspected of links to terrorist groups, money laundering, corruption and other illegal operations.
The East African nation also succeeded in foiling several terrorist plots directed against its citizens and arrested 165 al-Shabaab and 121 Daesh terrorists, the national security service added.

Al-Shabaab was founded in Somalia in 2004 with the aim of overthrowing the Mogadishu government. The terrorist group is also active in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Last week, Kenya's northeastern Lamu county witnessed large-scale attacks by al-Shabaab militants using improvised explosive devices.
On August 1, the terrorist group carried out an ambush in the Mwembeni area in Lamu county, killing two people and injuring ten others. Commenting on the attack a day later, Kenya's Interior Secretary Kithure Kindiki said that all the terrorists involved in the Lamu attack were neutralized by security officers.
* al-Shabaab and Daesh (ISIL/ ISIS/ IS) are terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other countries
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