MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The Somali military has issued a final warning to soldiers who record and disseminate videos from military bases and operations, risking the exposure of sensitive information to militants, Caasimada Online news website reported on Tuesday.
The army’s Abu Dujana brigade, Salim Omar Ahmed, emphasized that any soldier found filming military movements, weapons, or base locations will face arrest and trial.
Ahmed’s statement follows mounting concerns over the leak of crucial intelligence, which has reportedly aided militant groups in their rapid advances across central Somalia. He revealed that ongoing investigations are examining recent incidents in which video footage may have contributed to militant raids on army camps, leading to significant casualties and base overrun.
In a troubling trend over the past few years, Somali soldiers have routinely recorded military operations and shared videos on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook, sometimes disclosing highly sensitive information to the public.
While these leaks have raised alarms for military leaders, the insurgent group Al-Shabaab, which has been waging a deadly campaign against the government for nearly two decades, has notably refrained from using smartphones and tends to avoid digital communications during operations, instead relying on stringent security protocols to protect their operations.
Ahmed warned that soldiers caught recording and sharing such footage would be treated as potential agents for Al-Shabaab, intent on compromising national security. The military has vowed to clamp down on the practice to prevent further risks to operational security
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