Islamic State terrorist group is operating in Ethiopia

Ethiopian Defense Force says that it has captured some ISIS members in the country. Deputy Chief of staff of the Ethiopian Defense Force, General Berhanu Jula, said that the defense force is following those who are not yet captured, reported Ethiopia’s state media – EBC.

General Berhanu Jula refrained from disclosing the circumstances under which the alleged ISIS members were captured and in which part of Ethiopia they were captured. He did not disclose numbers, too.

“The Defense Force is working hard with a great sense of responsibility to protect the country and the people from danger,” Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation cited Gen. Berhanu Jula as saying.

It was during an interview with state News Paper, Addis Zemen, that General Berhanu disclosed ISIS is operating in the country. The terrorist group’s attempt to operate in different parts of Ethiopia has been foiled, claimed Gen. Berhanu.

He also said that the Ethiopian government is aware that there are individuals who are recruited, trained and armed by ISIS in Ethiopia.

“What ISIS members are doing, where they are operating in the country, who are their contacts in cities and towns, what their plan and other information that is not necessary to disclose at this point are known, and the government following it,” he is cited as saying.

Political pundits in the country are expressing concern that radical ethnic nationalism and unprecedented moral corruption is making the country vulnerable security-wise.

This ending Ethiopian Year, 2011, was busy for the Defense force due to ethnic-based violence in many parts of Ethiopia – violence that overpowered regional and federal police force.

The latest “intervention” region for the defense force is Southern Ethiopia regional state which was rocked with violence as radical ethnic Sidama nationalists declare a regional state on their own.

Source: Borkena