JIGJIGA (SD) – The president of the Somali regional government of Ethiopia, Mustafe Cagjar, spoke to the VOA Amharic service about the war between the Liyu Police Forces in the Somali region and Al Shabaab.

The President confirmed that the group that attacked the Somali region last Wednesday was a group of Al Shabaab trained fighters called the Ethiopian Mujahideen.

“The group that entered the Somali area was a group called Ethiopian Mujahideen, organized by Al Shabaab to disrupt the security of Ethiopia, most of whom are Ethiopians,” the President told the VOA.

The president said they were able to identify the prisoners as Ethiopians.

The purpose of this group for entering the Somali region, the President said, was to target the Somali and Oromo areas, and establish military bases in the mountains of Elkari and Bali, and to also fight alongside the rebels operating in Ethiopia.

President Mustafa Cagjar said that they foiled the groups plan and were able to identify the group as Ethiopian Mujahideen who are part of the Al Shabaab organization.

Attacks by Al Shabaab in areas near Ethiopia’s border with Somalia are rare, due to the presence of large Ethiopian forces in those areas.