Addis Ababa, July 15, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has announced the arrest of 82 individuals affiliated with ISIS who were trained and deployed to carry out terrorist operations across various parts of the country.
In a statement sent to Fana Media Corporation, NISS revealed that the arrests stem from an extensive intelligence investigation into the Somali wing of ISIS, which is active in Puntland and has been attempting to expand its operational footprint into Ethiopia and neighboring countries.
According to the statement, NISS has been closely monitoring the group’s cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia. Through systematic threat assessments and intelligence gathering, the agency identified credible indications that posed serious risks to national security.
Following the compilation of actionable intelligence and corroborating evidence, 82 operatives—trained by ISIS in Puntland and clandestinely deployed across Ethiopia—were identified and apprehended in a coordinated operation conducted in collaboration with the Ethiopian Federal Police and regional security forces.
NISS confirmed that the suspects maintained direct links with the terrorist organization and were engaged in providing logistical, financial, and operational support.
Several individuals were also found to be part of the group’s intelligence and recruitment apparatus, actively facilitating the establishment of ISIS-affiliated cells inside Ethiopia.
The agency further stated that the terrorist group has been exploiting religious institutions and symbols as a cover for its operations—using them to disseminate extremist ideology, recruit vulnerable individuals, and destabilize communities.
Evidence gathered during the investigation also indicates efforts to spread narratives aimed at undermining national unity and inciting violence and disorder, thebstatement noted.
The arrests were carried out across multiple locations, including Addis Ababa; Sheger City, Adama, Haromaya, Shashemene, Bale, Jimma, and Shakiso in the Oromia Region; Kemissie in the Amhara Region; Silte Zone and Halaba Kulito in the Central Ethiopia Region; Jigjiga in the Somali Region; and the Harari Region.
NISS commended the crucial role played by local communities in supporting the operation, describing their cooperation with security and intelligence agencies as exemplary.
The National Intelligence and Security Service emphasized that targeted intelligence operations and tactical tracking efforts will continue to identify and apprehend any remaining operatives affiliated with the group.
The agency also urged the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to relevant authorities, stressing that safeguarding peace and stability requires shared responsibility and civic engagement.