By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The government has extended condolences to the family of the murdered Sarar Regional Intelligence Chief.
The commiserations were conveyed by the interior minister Mr Mohamed Duur Arale during a press conference in his offices where he also revealed the capture of sixteen of the intelligence chief’s assailants.
The death of the Sarar region spymaster Mr Ahmed Aideed was as a result of grievous bullet wounds sustained when a large number of armed gunmen stormed the Ainabo central jail.
“I take this opportunity to extend the administration’s condolences to colleagues and family of the late Aideed, a diligent civil servant who died in the line of duty” Said Minister Duur
According to the interior minister three security officers among them the late Aideed received serious gunshot injuries following a brief but fierce exchange of machine gun fire between prison officers and armed clansmen in Ainabo town on the evening of last Tuesday.
Said he, “The clansmen had stormed the Ainabo prison in pursuit of releasing detain a large number of prisoners but only managed to escape with only two prisoners who were in detention on charges of warmongering related to a land dispute in Ainabo district”
The minister who congratulated officers from the crack Rapid Reaction Unit-RRU of the police said the immediate arrest of 16 of the assailants was attributed to the speed and style of intervention by the RRU.
” Upon reinforcing the beleaguered prison guards Officers of the crack managed not only to repulse the large number of heavily armed attackers but effect the capture of sixteen of them.” Said the interior minister
Following the criminal attack on a government institution by armed civilians the government has beefed up security not only in the eastern region of Sarar but entire country where law enforcers are on heightened alert.
Though the interior minister has credited the Ainabo incidence on land related disputes information reveals that the two internees released during the daring raid by their armed clansmen were in custody on issues pertaining to on-going oil surveys in the area being conducted by Genel Energy an Anglo-Turkish Co.
The attack and subsequent death of an officer, severe injuries to two others and forceful release of two prisoners also comes after several clan leaders recently issued threats of disrupting the ministry of Energy fronted surveys for oil on community owned lands without consultations with locals who a reportedly suspicious of the Genel company activities since contractual arrangements with the government has not been made public.
