Senegalese officials arrested more than 500 people as part of a security crackdown after the terrorist attacks in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. On Friday, the operations also went around Thies and Dakar, and the police questioned about 900 people for a range of offenses such as counterfeit currency and possession of drugs.
The intelligence service says that due to the following attacks on foreigners in Maku and Burkina Faso, it is apparent that the Senegalese capital Dakar is the next target because of its reputation with expats. The Telegraph reported that while the issue is not related to terrorism, Soro Diop will make sure that Senegal does not fall victim to an attack like its neighboring cities.
The threats come as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb killed about people since November. The attacks signaled many agencies from the government to do extra measures in deterring terrorist attacks. The government is now more worried because terrorist targets include civilians, as reported by Med Africa.
President Macky Sall of Senegal warned that terrorism and extremism have no place in his country. The Senegalese president underlined that there was peace between Christians and Muslims in the nation and no force or group shall destroy such harmony.
Local news reported that the government already deployed its security forces and is now visible all throughout the capital Dakar. The president said that police carried out these security measures as part of an operation against the threat of terrorism and has been reinforced on all levels.
According to Blasting News, because of the poverty in Senegal, terrorist groups now have an edge to lure unemployed teenagers to fuel domestic terrorism. This makes it harder for the government to identify terrorist living among them.
Security experts say that Senegal's popularity is also what makes them a target of al-Qaeda. The government already asked its people including foreigners to cooperate and be sensitive to what is happening in the region.
