Al-Shabab militants make a surprise move surrendering in Somalia

AFMADOW, Somalia - Two Al-Shabab militants surrendered on Saturday to the Somali regional state forces in the country's southern region of Lower Jubba, officials said, Garowe Online reports.

Jubaland security officials say they received in Afmadow town the fighters indentified as Geedi Mohamed Ali and Abdulaziz Mohamed after ditching their life in the group and turned themselves in.

Parading the defectors to the local media in the city center, the regional officials said they will welcome anyone in Al-Shabab who decides to defect and accept amnesty offered by the Somali government.

The local authorities announced that the extremists surrendered to Jubaland army and regretted being brainwashed by the Al-Qaeda-linked group as they wanted to live in peace with the rest of the society.

The militants handed over two AK-47 automatic rifles and ammunition to the state security forces.

Sources tell Garowe Online that before deciding to defect from Al-Shabab, the two fighters had been in contact with some of his relatives who are members of the government forces operating in the region.

There was no immediate comment from the militant group on the latest defections from its ranks.

In the past few years, high-ranking members of Al-Shabab made a surprise move surrendering to the government of Somalia, including former group’s deputy leader, Mukhtar Robow who is now in jail.

The AU Mission in Somalia has also intensified operations against al-Shabab militants in central and southern Somalia, conducting consecutive onslaughts to flush the militants out of these regions.

GAROWE ONLINE