World
12:19, 14-Aug-2017
Former Al-Shabaab's commander defects to Somali authorities
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Authorities in Somalia have welcomed the surrender of a top terrorist commander, Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur, Al-Shabaab's former deputy commander.
Robow is believed to be among the co-founders of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. For several years, he served as the group's second-in-command.
In 2013, Robow fell out of favor with the group's leader Ahmed Godane, who was killed in an airstrike in September 2014. He has been on the run from both authorities and the militants ever since.
Earlier this month, the US removed him from their list of sponsors of terror after five years. But it wasn't received well by the group. They launched back attacks in Robow’s hideout in Bakool region.
And on Sunday, authorities announced that Robow had surrendered.
Authorities have welcomed his surrender, but it's unclear how this recent move will impact on Al-Shabaab’s attacks across the country.
The group is yet to issue a formal statement on Robow's surrender. Meanwhile, many hope that it will put an end to the bloodshed that's already claimed thousands of lives.