Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) announced the arrest of 82 individuals linked to the Islamic State (IS) over suspected involvement in planned terror operations across the country.

In a statement released Tuesday, the NISS revealed that the suspects were apprehended following a months-long intelligence investigation into the Somali wing of IS. The group has been attempting to expand its operations into Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries, according to the agency.

The suspects, reportedly trained in Puntland, Somalia, had infiltrated Ethiopia with the goal of establishing sleeper cells and carrying out coordinated attacks. The arrests were made in a joint operation involving the Ethiopian Federal Police and regional security forces.

“These operatives maintained direct links with IS and were receiving logistical, financial, and operational support from the organization,” the statement said. The NISS also noted that the group was using religious institutions and symbols as a front to promote extremist ideology, recruit followers, and destabilize communities.

The crackdown is part of Ethiopia’s broader counter-terrorism strategy, which includes monitoring cross-border threats and disrupting terrorist networks before they become operational.

Earlier this year, Ethiopia and Kenya launched a joint military campaign targeting militant groups along their shared border, with a focus on dismantling the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), also known as ‘Shene’. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government.

The joint operation also aims to curb contraband trade, human trafficking, and arms smuggling in the Horn of Africa region, the NISS noted.

Security forces from both nations continue to conduct operations within designated border areas to restore stability and weaken terrorist influence in the region.