Jubbaland Intelligence presents al-Shabab suspect following Kismayo hospital grenade attack

Jubbaland intelligence forces on Saturday presented Ali Shidad Ayub, a suspected al-Shabab operative, accused of throwing a hand grenade at Kismayo Hospital. 

According to officials, the suspect, who admitted to carrying out the attack, had been affiliated with al-Shabab for seven years. Ayub surrendered to Jubbaland forces in 2018 and was detained in rehabilitation camps for defectors from the group before being released.  

However, Jubbaland intelligence arrested him again in 2019 in connection with a similar hand grenade attack   in Kismayo. The hospital was treating Jubbaland forces injured in clashes in Raskamboni town, located in the Lower Jubba region.  

The suspect reportedly resumed work in Kismayo before being coerced by al-Shabab to attack the Kismayo district headquarters. Ayub claimed that the militant group threatened to kill him if he refused to comply with their demands.