Turkish court issues arrest warrant for al-Shabaab leaders

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

An Ankara court has ruled to issue an arrest warrant for five Ethiopian al-Shabaab leaders as part of an investigation into a suicide attack on the Turkish Embassy that killed an embassy personnel in Mogadishu in July last year.

The Ankara public prosecutor will also apply to INTERPOL to issue a red alert on the suspects after determining that the attack was carried out upon their leaders’ instructions.

On July 28, 2013, al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab militants staged a suicide attack on a Turkish Embassy annex, killing one Turkish guard and wounding three others.

Ankara’s Sixth Penal Court ordered the arrest in absentia of leader of the terrorist organization Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, deputy leader Sheikh Mukhtar Robow, senior commander Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, spiritual leader Hassan Dahir Aweys and Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, another senior leader.

During the attack, the police officers guarding the Turkish Embassy annex, housing Turkish diplomatic staff, killed two assailants, but a third attacker detonated a vehicle laden with explosives.