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MOGADISHU. – Somali security forces yesterday arrested 300 suspects in a swoop conducted in the capital Mogadishu and its environs to clear the city of criminals, officials said yesterday.

The security operation was carried out by Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) in Helliwa and Yakhshid districts in the capital Mogadishu.

Spokesman of Benadir Regional Administration, Abdifitah Omar Halane said that the operation aimed to ensure adequate security in the city and wipe out militants who have been hiding inside the capital to wage attacks on the government.

“The operation was carried out by NISA in two districts, Yakhshid and Helliwa districts; it began last night and concluded this morning, the forces arrested about 300 suspects,” Halane said in Mogadishu.

He said some of the suspects have been released after interrogations while the remaining 26 are being treated as suspects and will be arraigned in court soon.

“This is very productive and successful operation against terrorist elements here in the capital,” Halane added.

The security operation comes after several deadly terrorist attacks in Mogadishu early this month where a suicide bomber attacked an airline at the Mogadishu airport.

In January, the insurgents who were allied to Al-Qaida network used vehicles loaded with explosives and suicide bombers to attack military bases belonging to Kenyan troops, killing an unknown number of troops and captured others.

Al- Shabaab claimed to have killed 100 Kenyan soldiers and captured 12 of them who are being used as human shield. – Xinhua.