By Horn of Africa News
Mogadishu – Ethiopian security forces have arrested 82 individuals suspected of being members of the Islamic State (ISIS) in one of the country’s largest anti-terrorism operations to date. The crackdown, led by Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), targeted a transnational extremist network allegedly connected to ISIS affiliates in neighboring Somalia.
In a statement released Monday, NISS revealed that the suspects are believed to have trained with ISIS’s Somali faction, operating primarily in the mountainous Puntland region of northeastern Somalia. The individuals were later smuggled across the border and dispersed to different regions in Ethiopia, including the capital Addis Ababa, and the Amhara and Oromia regions.
“The group had been under long-term surveillance,” NISS stated. “They were preparing to establish a permanent operational base in Ethiopia for planning and executing large-scale terrorist attacks.”
According to intelligence sources, several of those arrested maintained direct contact with ISIS’s global command structure, receiving financial and logistical support intended to facilitate coordinated attacks on Ethiopian soil. Authorities say this support included funding, communication equipment, and plans for recruitment and indoctrination of local operatives.
The revelation of this plot underscores growing concerns about the expanding regional footprint of extremist groups, particularly in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia, which has largely remained resilient in the face of external jihadist threats, is now facing an increasing spillover from Somalia’s long-running insurgency.
The Somali wing of ISIS, though smaller than its rival Al-Shabaab, has been gaining ground in recent years. Puntland has become a key base for ISIS recruitment and training, taking advantage of the region’s rough terrain and political fragmentation.
This latest wave of arrests is part of Ethiopia’s escalating counter-terrorism strategy, which aims to confront the threat before it fully takes root within national borders. Officials emphasized that the arrested suspects were not acting in isolation but were part of a well-coordinated, cross-border extremist network aiming to destabilize the region.
Security analysts alert that the incident reflects a broader trend of jihadist movements exploiting porous borders, weak governance, and local grievances across East Africa. The Horn of Africa—already grappling with internal conflict, displacement, and climate-induced crises—is becoming increasingly vulnerable to foreign-inspired radicalization and recruitment efforts.
Ethiopia’s security agency confirmed that ongoing investigations are expected to reveal more details about the network’s operations, collaborators, and financial backers. Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the suspects or whether any of them hold foreign nationalities.
The arrests come amid calls for stronger regional intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism collaboration between countries in the Horn of Africa. With groups like ISIS and Al-Shabaab operating fluidly across national borders, experts say no single country can tackle the threat alone.
Ethiopia’s success in foiling this alleged terror plot is being seen as a wake-up call to other nations in the region—particularly Somalia, Kenya, and Djibouti—about the urgent need for joint action against evolving extremist threats.
Reporting by: Horn of Africa News Desk
