Ethiopia Arrests 82 Suspected ISIS Members in Major Crackdown

• Jul 16, 2025

Ethiopia’s security agencies have arrested 82 people suspected of being ISIS members following a series of coordinated operations across the country.

The arrests were announced by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in a statement shared with local media on Tuesday. According to NISS, the operation was conducted jointly with the Federal Police and various regional security forces. The suspects were detained in multiple towns and cities, including Addis Ababa, Sheger, Adama, Haromaya, Shashemene, Bale, Jimma, and Shakiso in the Oromia region.

Other arrests were made in Silte Zone and Halaba Kulito in Central Ethiopia, as well as Jigjiga in the Somali region and the Harari region.

NISS said the suspects had been trained by ISIS operatives in Puntland, Somalia. They were sent to Ethiopia as sleeper cells with instructions to carry out attacks. Some had direct links to the group's leadership and were helping by providing funds, equipment, and logistical support. Others were involved in planning attacks or spreading ISIS ideology.

The intelligence agency also revealed that ISIS had been using religious institutions and messages to hide its operations and recruit new members. It accused the group of using religion to sow division, incite violence, and create instability.

NISS credited public cooperation for the success of the operation. It urged communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious individuals or activities that could threaten peace and safety. The agency also vowed to continue tracking down any ISIS members who might still be hiding within the country.

Ethiopia’s concern about ISIS activity comes amid a rise in threats from the group’s Somali branch, which has grown in recent years to an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters. Despite this, it remains smaller than Al-Shabaab, the dominant Islamist group in southern and central Somalia.

In December 2024, Puntland’s government launched a major offensive against ISIS, reclaiming over 250 square kilometres and capturing more than 50 militant bases in the Golis Mountains. Since February 2025, US airstrikes targeting ISIS leaders and facilities have sharply increased under President Donald Trump, killing dozens of fighters and backing Puntland’s military efforts to weaken the group’s influence