Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service has arrested 82 individuals suspected of being members of the Islamic State group, according to the official broadcaster “Fana”. The suspects had reportedly undergone training and were deployed to carry out operations in various regions of the country.
The statement noted that the suspects are believed to be linked to the Somali branch of ISIS, which operates mainly in the semi-autonomous Puntland region.
Ethiopian authorities emphasized they are closely monitoring the group’s attempts to infiltrate across the borders and to establish sleeper cells within Ethiopian territory.
The report added that the Somali affiliate has become an increasingly significant part of ISIS’s global network in recent years, due to a rising influx of foreign fighters and growing financial resources.
Current estimates place the number of ISIS fighters in Somalia between 700 and 1,500.
