Ethiopia Arrests 82 Daesh Combatants, Estimated To Reach 1,500 Militants In Somalia

Illustration of members of the combat. (Wikimedia Commons-Davric)

JAKARTA - Ethiopia arrested 82 members of Daesh's combat guard. The militants are said to be trained and will be deployed for operations across the country in eastern Africa.

Media Fana quoted the National Intelligence Agency (NISS) as saying those arrested were affiliated with the Daesh operation in Somalia, including in the semi-autonomous country of Puntland.

"The NISS has closely monitored the group's cross-border infiltration strategy and its efforts to build sleeping cells in Ethiopia," wrote a report by Fana Tuesday, July 15 evening local time, quoted by Reuters.

It is estimated that Daesh's wings in Somalia have reached 700 to 1,500 militants, growing rapidly in recent years thanks to the entry of foreign fighters and the income they have earned.

However, this number is still much smaller than Al-Shabab members affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the militant group that controls much of the southern and central Somali regions.

US Military airstrikes have been carried out regularly against militant groups for years.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, attacks on Daesh and Al-Shabab have intensified.

Meanwhile, the semi-autonomous state of Puntland in northeastern Somalia has also stepped up attacks on its territory against militants.

Puntland's semi-autonomous government forces have seized most of the territory from ISIS since announcing a massive offensive against them in December.