Al Shabaab snatches WHO health staffer

Wednesday Janaury 15, 2014

advertisements

Al Shabab militants fighting Somali government and AU peacekeepers in the country have abducted Dr. Mohiyadin Taruuri, from his home in the city of Waajid, in the south western region of Bakool just bordering with Ethiopia, according to residents who were reached for comment by HOL.

Locals said that the doctor identified as Mohiyadin Taruuri, working for the world health organization (WH) was snatched by fighters belonging to Al shabab who secretly entered the town from their base in Diinsoor district.

The abducted doctor is the 2nd to be snatched by Al shabab recently, as they earlier abducted Dr Abukar Hashami, the WHO’s representative in the region. Residents said that both doctors are currently being held in the town of Diinsoor, one of the main bases of the Al-Qaeda-linked militants in southern Somalia.

Residents say that some of the group’s top leaders are now based in the town of Diinsoor, where the two WHO health staffers are being held. Neither the world health organization nor Somali government or Al shabaab themselves haven’t yet spoken about the latest abductions of the global health workers.

But the abduction comes as one of Al Shabaab’s leaders Sheik Ali Mohamed Hussein recently accused the aid organizations operating in the country of being part of what he described as the “invasion against Somalia”.

“They are not aid organizations, they are spy agencies and work for the enemy of Islam, we urge the Muslim Somali people to be far away from the bases of the so-called aid agencies, the puppet government and the enemy forces in the country” AL Shabaab’s representative in Mogadishu Sheik Ali Mohamed Hussein told the group’s Al Andalus Radio which operates from an un known place in the country.

The militant leader said they were fully aware of the American military presence in the country vowing they will launch what he described as ‘all out war’ against them.

Hiiraan Online English News Desk

Home
Email