Somali security forces in Beledweyne thwarted a suspected Al-Shabaab attack on Saturday night after intercepting two alleged militants in the city’s Hawo Tako neighborhood, officials said.
According to military officials, security forces acted on intelligence about a planned attack and confronted the two suspects before they could carry out their operation.
One of the suspected militants was shot dead during the operation, while the second was captured alive.
“Security forces in Beledweyne tonight thwarted a terrorist act that two Khawarij plotters were planning to carry out in the Hawo Tako neighborhood of the city,” a statement released through Somali state media said, using the government’s term for Al-Shabaab.
Hiiraan regional administration spokesperson Liban Omar Hassan said information provided by local residents played a crucial role in preventing the suspected attack, highlighting the importance of public cooperation in counterterrorism efforts.
“We call on the residents of Beledweyne to continue cooperating with the security forces, and action will be taken against anyone who attempts to destabilize the city,” Hassan said.
Following the operation, security forces displayed the body of the slain suspect and the captured man in Beledweyne, saying the move was intended to demonstrate the success of the operation and deter future Al-Shabaab attacks.
The incident underscores the continued security challenges facing Beledweyne, the administrative capital of the Hiiraan region, which has repeatedly been targeted by Al-Shabaab because of its strategic location in central Somalia.
Security agencies have intensified intelligence-led operations and patrols in and around the city to prevent further militant attacks.
Al-Shabaab has not publicly commented on the government’s account of the incident.