Nairobi — Two suspected ISIS members were among 17 individuals arrested in Kenya during an international counter-terrorism operation conducted across East Africa in November and December 2024.
The operation, led by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), targeted terrorist fighters, financiers, and those involved in radicalization and propaganda.
A total of 37 suspects were apprehended in the operation, which spanned eight East African countries. The suspects include members of ISIS, Al-Shabaab, and other foreign terrorist fighters. Authorities also seized a significant amount of weapons, including both small arms and heavy artillery.
According to INTERPOL, the operation aimed to identify and arrest individuals linked to terrorism while strengthening border security. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, police arrested four suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and two associates, while a missile and anti-tank device abandoned by suspected terrorists were destroyed.
In Somalia, three individuals were arrested, including a suspected bomb maker connected to Al-Shabaab's Amniyaat unit. The unit has been responsible for planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) targeting law enforcement and military personnel. Another detainee is believed to have been involved in attacks on police checkpoints with hand grenades.
In Tanzania, authorities arrested an alleged ISIS Mozambique member and a Ugandan national attempting to join a terrorist group in Mozambique as a foreign fighter.
Before the operation, each participating country developed an operational plan based on intelligence gathering on terror-related targets. INTERPOL and AFRIPOL consolidated and analyzed this data, facilitating the exchange of criminal intelligence among participating countries. During the tactical phase, coordinated raids and investigations were carried out, with support from both INTERPOL and AFRIPOL officers, who provided logistical coordination and real-time data analysis.
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INTERPOL's Acting Executive Director of Police Services, Cyril Gout, highlighted the importance of international collaboration in combating the region's evolving terrorist threats. "As these groups seek to expand their reach beyond traditional areas of operation, it is essential that law enforcement agencies work together to stay ahead of these evolving threats," he said.
Ambassador Jalel Chelba, Acting Executive Director of AFRIPOL, emphasized the need for a unified strategy to tackle terrorism and organized crime, addressing both immediate risks and underlying vulnerabilities. He reaffirmed AFRIPOL's commitment to enhancing regional partnerships to promote lasting safety and stability across Africa.
The operation also focused on bolstering border security, with frontline officers at land, air, and port border points receiving training and equipment, including INTERPOL Mobile Devices (IMDs). These devices give officers real-time access to INTERPOL's databases, which contain critical information on 135,000 foreign terrorist fighters and millions of records of lost or stolen travel documents--key assets for preventing terrorist mobility.
The operation was part of the ISPA programme, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, and further exemplifies the power of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
