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Mahmood said she knew "full well the dangers of the warped ideology of Islamist extremists" and added: "I will not tolerate it within our prisons."

The US and Somalia have carried out an airstrike against Islamist militants during a battle for control of a strategic central town, the government says.

Meanwhile, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick described the attack as "extremely concerning", and suggested it brought into question "the prison leadership's ability to contain the threat from Islamist extremist inmates."

Starlink is now operating in more than 20 African countries, with Somalia, hit by an Islamist insurgency, giving it a 10-year licence on 13 April, two days before Lesotho's decision to do so.

There are also worries about the level of insecurity in the country with kidnapping-for-ransom still a major issue and fears that Islamist militant group Boko Haram could make a resurgence in the north-east.