Addis Ababa, July 16: Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has arrested 82 individuals suspected of plotting terrorist attacks across various parts of the country, in what authorities describe as a major operation against Islamic State (IS)-linked operatives.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the arrests followed an extensive intelligence-led investigation into the Somali wing of IS, which has been attempting to expand its footprint into Ethiopia and neighboring countries. NISS revealed that the suspects had been trained in Puntland and were deployed covertly into Ethiopia to establish sleeper cells.
“Following the compilation of actionable intelligence and corroborating evidence, 82 operatives — trained by IS in Puntland and clandestinely deployed across Ethiopia — were identified and apprehended in a coordinated operation,” the statement read. The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Ethiopian Federal Police and regional security forces.
The NISS added that the suspects maintained direct links with IS and were actively receiving logistical, financial, and operational support. Investigators also found evidence that the group had been exploiting religious institutions and symbols to spread extremist ideologies, recruit vulnerable individuals, and destabilize communities under the guise of religious activities.
The crackdown comes amid rising concerns over transnational terror networks attempting to infiltrate East Africa. Earlier this year, Ethiopian and Kenyan intelligence services launched a joint military operation aimed at dismantling militant threats along their shared border. The operation primarily targeted ‘Shene’ — also known as the Oromo Liberation Army — a group designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government.
NISS noted that the joint forces continue to conduct operations in border areas to disrupt terrorism, contraband trade, and the trafficking of arms and people. Authorities affirmed their commitment to regional stability and counterterrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa.
