Al-Shabaab Leader Surrenders To Somali Government

MOGADISHU, March 9 (Xinhua) — Leader of Somali militant group al-Shabaab has surrendered to government forces in Baidoa town in southern Somalia, the AU mission confirmed.

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said on Wednesday evening that Hussein Salad Mukhtar surrendered to the Somali National Army (SNA) on Tuesday following a government amnesty offer for militants to surrender.

“AMISOM calls on Al-Shabaab fighters to heed the government’s amnesty,” AMISOM said. It called on al-Shabaab militants to lay down their weapons and join the Somali people to rebuild their county.

“AMISON hopes that other sons and daughters of Somalia who have been misled into terrorist acts will emulate the courageous action of Mukhtar,” it said.

The Somali government announced an amnesty offer in 2014 to members of the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabaab, which had been launching attacks on government forces and AMISOM.

Source: (Xinhua)