Somali authorities have intercepted 20 suspected Pakistani and Iranian sailors who, according to their account, had been held hostage for years by the jihadist organization Al Shabaab.
The incident occurred Saturday night in the Galmudug region on the country’s central coast, security officials in the city of Hobyo confirmed to Hiran on Line.
The 20 individuals were intercepted while traveling in two boats between Hobyo and Haradhere, without any companions from the jihadist group, prompting security forces to provisionally detain the group members.
Somali security officials are now working to secure their extradition to their home countries.
During the height of piracy in the central Indian Ocean, Somali pirates, many of them Al Shabaab affiliates, took thousands of hostages in raids on hundreds of ships for profit.
However, Somali authorities have also repeatedly alleged that Al Shabaab is employing foreign fighters to carry out attacks in the country, although they acknowledge the impossibility of verifying their membership when they are arrested alone.
