Senior Al Shabab commander defects to Al-Sunnah Wajamah

[galia]

Senior Al Shabab commander defects to moderate Islamists
Hussein Farah Gure, Al Shabab’s commander in the Maxaas district of the central Hiiraan region of Somalia and two of his bodyguards have surrendered to the moderate Sunni non-militant group of Ahlu Sunna waljama’a which controls more land in central Somalia.

The defected commander Emir Hussein Farah Gure said that he came to the decision to leave Al Shabab after he knew that they are killing innocent people and not acting in accordance with Islam.

“I have escaped only with these two bodyguards but there are dozens of others who are now on the way and will come to Guri El in few hours time” the defected Al Shabab commander told reporters in the moderate Islamist-controlled town of Guri El on Monday night.

This is the second Al Shabab commander to defect in less than ten days, as the extremist group’s highest-ranking militia commander in the Middle Shabelle region joined the Somali government last week.

Meanwhile, reports from Balad district about 30 kilometers north of the capital indicate that Al Shabab fighters have arrested a senior Hezbal Islam militia commander Ahmed GaayGaay.

“Our brother Ahmed, three of his bodyguards and his wife are in custody and we don’t know why they were arrested” another Hezbal Islam militia leader who demanded anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media told APA by telephone on Tuesday.

Al Shabab did not say why they have arrested the commander, but this comes as the two former allies have been at war since they fought for the control of the key port town of Kismayo in October this year.