Amid security concerns, hundreds of veils are seized by Somali police.
TThe face veil is prohibited for women in Kismayo, Somalia.
The police commander of Kismayo, in southern Somalia, reports that hundreds of Islamic face veils belonging to female citizens had been taken by security personnel.
Authorities have been carrying out operations to "fight" the veils, often referred to as niqabs, Warsame Ahmed Gelle told state TV. According to Mr. Warsame, worries that terrorists could pose as someone else and carry out strikes were what spurred the crackdown.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda offshoot that has fought the UN-backed government in Somalia for almost 20 years, controls a sizable portion of southern and central Somalia.
Numerous people were killed in an attack at a well-liked beachside spot in the capital city of Mogadishu on Friday.
Officers in Kismayo have started stopping women in the street and making them take off their veils in order to seize the clothing. Last Wednesday, the procedure started, according to Mr. Wasame. If seen wearing the niqab, which conceals the entire face except for the eyes, women risk jail time or monetary penalties.
Kismayo and the adjacent areas are the only areas in the state of Jubaland where the prohibition may be enforced by the government because al-Shabab occupies a large portion of southern Somalia.
The niqab ban was first imposed by the state in 2013, claiming security concerns; nevertheless, it was hardly ever enforced. Niqabs are considered a symbol of modesty in Islam, a religion that 99 percent of Somalians practice, according to official figures.
The niqab is worn by many of the women there, and according to Mr. Wasame, its vogue has suddenly surged. The hijab, which hides a woman's hair but not her face, is still preferred by the majority of Somali women.
According to the authorities, numerous more individuals were hurt and at least 37 people died in Friday's assault on the beach.
Al-Shabab, who took credit for the attack, stated that the number of casualties and deaths was far higher than what the authorities had disclosed.
Retaliatory assaults are a possible because the Somali forces just killed hundreds of terrorist fighters in Jubaland.
