In an exclusive interview with Bar-kulan, the group’s spokesman in Gedo Mohamed Hussein Al-Qadi said over four young militants have so far surrendered to them in the last five days.

He alleged that several others are willing to run away from the militants group and are in contact with their officials in the region, adding that they will soon be received.

Al-Qadi said his group will put in place a tailor made modalities to shape the future of these defectors and reintegrate them back into the society.

Their defection is seen as a significant setback to the Al-Shabaab group whose military capability has been weakened in the recent months’

The cash strapped militant group has been facing defection crisis since the beginning of this year, with military experts attributing this defections to both leadership and financial crisis facing the group.

Their defection comes weeks after government paraded 260 alleged Al-Shabaab defectors at Maslah military camp after giving themselves up to the government soldiers in Bal’ad.

The leader of the militant defectors Shegow Ahmed Ali reportedly told the press that he decided to surrender with his juniors following a rift with the Middle Shabelle regional leader of the Al-Shabaab group Yussuf Kabo-ku-tukade.