Somali authorities on Thursday arrested a former deputy leader of al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab, sparking clashes between his supporters and pro-government forces that left eight people dead.
Local reports indicate that Mukhtar Robow was arrested at a meeting in Baidoa, some 25 kilometers northwest of the capital Mogadishu. He is accused of mobilizing armed forces to threaten the region’s security.
Robow is said to have been trained by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and was one of the founders of al-Shabaab in 2006. He served as the militant group’s number-two for several years, also being the group’s spokesman.
The U.S. government in 2012 offered a $5 million bounty for information on his whereabouts.
He later left al-Shabaab, and fearing for his life, went into hiding, protected by his loyalists.
He finally turned himself over to the Somali Federal Government in August 2017, after the U.S. removed the bounty on his head.
In October, he declared his candidature for the presidency of Somalia’s southwest region, but the federal government rejected it.
A statement by the internal security ministry said Robow was not eligible to run for the post because he is still under international sanctions.
After his arrest on Thursday, Robow was flown to Mogadishu where he is being detained.
