Garowe (WDN) – Puntland security forces have arrested a man accused of assassinating the commander of the Jariiban District Police Station in the Mudug region, in what authorities describe as a swift breakthrough following the killing that stunned the local community.

Puntland Police identified the suspect as Ibrahim Ahmed Kooshin, who was apprehended during a joint operation involving security forces and traditional elders shortly after the fatal attack.

According to a statement issued by the Puntland Police Command, the suspect was captured inside Jariiban after allegedly fleeing the scene of the shooting. Police also said members of the suspect’s own family cooperated with authorities, helping facilitate his arrest.

“The Mudug Regional Police Command has arrested suspect Ibrahim Ahmed Kooshin, who is accused of being responsible for the killing of the late Lieutenant Guuleed Abdulkadir Kadleeye, commander of the Jariiban District Police Station,” the statement said.

Police confirmed that the suspect will be handed over to the competent judicial authorities to face legal proceedings under Puntland’s justice system, while investigators continue gathering evidence to determine whether others were involved in the attack.

Lieutenant Guuleed Abdulkadir Kadleeye had earned a reputation as one of the district’s leading security officers. In recent months, he had played a prominent role in strengthening security in Jariiban, leading operations against illegal firearms and combating pirate networks operating along parts of the Mudug coastline.

His killing has sent shockwaves through Jariiban and the wider Mudug region, prompting an outpouring of condolences from government officials, community leaders, and residents, many of whom praised his commitment to restoring law and order.

Security officials stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and pledged that anyone found to have participated in planning or carrying out the assassination will be brought before the courts.

The arrest marks an important early development in the investigation, though authorities say further inquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding one of the most high-profile attacks on Puntland’s security leadership in recent months.

WardheerNews