MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s government has arrested members of the Custodial Corps who deserted frontline positions in ongoing operations against the militant group Al-Shabaab in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, a senior security official said.
Mahad Abdirahman, Commander of the Custodial Corps, confirmed the arrests in Mogadishu and stated that a wider manhunt is underway for additional deserters who fled to the capital after being deployed to active combat zones.
Abdirahman earlier declared that soldiers who abandon their posts would face arrest or execution, along with potential punitive measures against their families.
“We are tracking down those who fled without selling their weapons. They will be returned to the frontlines by force,” he said. “Those who sold their arms have been detained and will remain in custody.”
The crackdown follows reports that hundreds of police officers have gone missing after deployment to volatile frontline areas. Many are feared to have either melted into civilian populations or defected to Al-Shabaab.
The desertions underscore the challenges Somalia’s security forces face as they ramp up military offensives to reclaim territory from the Islamist insurgency, which has waged a years-long insurgency against the central government.
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