ADDIS ABABA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) said that it apprehended 82 suspects who were allegedly plotting terrorist operations in various parts of the East African country.
In a statement released Tuesday, NISS said that the arrest of the suspects, who have allegedly links with the terrorist group, the Islamic State (IS), stems from an extensive intelligence investigation into the Somali wing of the IS. The terrorist group has been attempting to expand its operational footprint into Ethiopia and neighboring countries.
According to the statement, NISS has been closely monitoring the group's cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia.
"Following the compilation of actionable intelligence and corroborating evidence, 82 operatives -- trained by the IS in Puntland and clandestinely deployed across Ethiopia -- were identified and apprehended in a coordinated operation conducted in collaboration with the Ethiopian Federal Police and regional security forces," the statement added.
NISS confirmed that the suspects maintained direct links with the terrorist organization and were engaged in receiving logistical, financial, and operational support.
The statement further said that the IS has been exploiting religious institutions and symbols as a cover for its operations to disseminate extremist ideology, recruit vulnerable individuals, and destabilize communities. ■
