NISA detailed a comprehensive approach to this significant cyber crackdown, involving meticulous tracking, investigation, and identification of the websites’ registered owners, leading to their eventual shutdown. This endeavour, spanning several months, targeted online platforms that had been active for varying years, aiming to curb the spread of extremist content.
The agency’s statement underscored the global reach of this operation, with the now-banned websites being made inaccessible worldwide — a first in the fight against Al-Shabaab’s online presence. This move not only removes a key propaganda tool from the group but also highlights the Somali government’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts.
In addition to website closures, NISA’s investigation unearthed the identities of individuals behind these operations. Details, including credit card information used in site registrations, have been shared with international security agencies to facilitate further actions against the group’s global network.
The Somali government has successfully blocked domestic access to these sites, reinforcing its stance against terrorism. Legal actions are poised to follow for anyone within the country found supporting or propagating terrorism online.
