Of the 364 arrested, 304 were later released while the remaining 60 are now held in police custody. Several hand grenades were also recovered during the crackdown targeting Mogadishu’s Hodan district.

Benadir regional police boss, Ahmed Hassan Maalin, was quoted as saying that the suspects still in custody are believed to be members of the outlawed Al-Shabaab militant group.

He said police and other government spy agencies will continue investigating the suspects to determine the charges against them.

Maalin further revealed that police recovered 36 hand grenades in a house allegedly aimed at harming locals in the area, adding that police are still hunting for the owner of these grenades who is on the run.

Police spokesman who is also the head of criminal investigation department Abdullahi Hassan Barise appealed to the local population to help them secure the city by providing timely information to avert militant attacks in the city.