Somalia: Al Shabaab agent surrenders to Puntland forces 25 Aug 25, 2012 - 9:35:15 AM
BOSSASO, Somalia Aug 25 2012 (Garowe Online) – A member of the Al Shabaab linked militia operating in the Galgala Mountains turned himself over to military forces stationed in the region on Saturday, Garowe Online reports.
On Saturday Chief of Darwish forces stationed in Galgala area Col. Jama Saeed Warsame spoke to Radio Garowe confirming the surrender of a Galgala militia agent.
“Around 11:30 the man surrendered to Darwish forces. He was carrying a heavy submachine gun known as PKM, documents and radios,” said Col. Warsame.
The man was identified as Mowlid Adan Qalalan who according to Col. Warsame escaped the mountains because he was in charge of a platoon in the Galgala Mountains.
“Mr. Qalalan was a platoon commander that was responsible of fighting government forces. He escaped because he was a trusted agent of the terrorist network being that he was responsible for a platoon,” said Col. Warsame.
The Galgala militia who announced officially that they joined the Al Shabaab network, maintain close supervision on their agents. According to agents who successfully defected, suspicions of a possible defection sometimes lead to summary executions.
Mr. Qalalan had fought in Kismayo and Kudhaa, in southern Somalia before reaching the Galgala Mountains earlier this year. According to Col. Warsame he had felt that his actions were criminal and lost hope in the leadership of the terrorist network as they had continued to wage war on civilians.
The threat of Al Shabaab operating the Galgala Mountains diminished severly after Puntland forces conducted operations in 2010 known as the ‘Galgala campaign’. Radio Garowe asked Col. Warsame if that threat could reemerge.
“I don’t believe that threat will reemerge, they have weakened drastically and the terrorist organization has been crumbling since 2010 as they lost the battle and many soldiers. There have been many defections already this year, and God willing the threat of Al Shabaab in the Galgala Mountains will never reemerge,” said Col. Warsame.
