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Ethiopia has arrested 82 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants who were allegedly trained and deployed to carry out operations throughout the country, according to the state-affiliated Fana broadcaster.
The National Intelligence Security Services, in a statement shared with Fana, reported that the suspects are part of the ISIS affiliate in Somalia, which operates in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. This particular faction of ISIS has become an increasingly significant part of the group’s global network in recent years.
“NISS has been closely monitoring the group’s cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia,” Fana reported late on Tuesday.
With an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters, the Somalia wing of the Islamic State (ISIS) has expanded in recent years, bolstered by foreign recruits and growing revenue. However, it remains significantly smaller than the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group, which controls large areas of southern and central Somalia.
The United States military has been conducting air strikes against the group for years, with a notable increase in frequency since President Donald Trump took office. Meanwhile, Puntland government forces have made significant gains against ISIS, recapturing large portions of territory since launching a major offensive last December.
