Suicide bombers ‘kill’ 13 near peacekeeping base in Somalia
Al-Shebab claims responsibility
MOGADISHU, July 26, (Agencies): Suicide bombers killed at least thirteen people as they tried to blast their way into the African Union’s main peacekeeping base in Somalia’s capital on Tuesday, police said.
The force of the explosions shattered windows at Mogadishu’s nearby airport, showering arriving passengers with glass, said witnesses.
Al Shebab, the Islamist militant group fighting to topple Somalia’s Western-backed government, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had killed more than 12 people. It regularly reports higher death counts than the authorities.
Police said the first attacker detonated a car bomb and the second tried to storm the base on foot, but was shot and exploded at the gate.
“We understand at least seven from a private security firm died,” said Ali Farah, a police officer. The guards were caught in the blast at the gate as they escorted UN personnel into the base, which is known as Halane, he added. The African Union’s AMISOM force said on Twitter it condemned the “senseless attacks that aim to disrupt and cripple the lives of ordinary Somalis”. There was no immediate comment from the United Nations.
People arriving on international flights said the blasts shattered windows in the airport buildings.
“We were greeted by two loud blasts. The glass of the airport building fell on us,” said Ali Nur, who had just got off a plane from Nairobi.
“The two explosions were carried out by two brave Mujahedeen suicide bombers and they have targeted two different locations where the so-called AMISOM peacekeepers are stationed,” it said, referring to the African Union mission to Somalia.
An AFP journalist at the scene heard gunfire after the explosions tore through the area.
The city’s airport is heavily fortified and adjoins the capital’s main base for AMISOM, the 22,000-strong force backing the government in the battle against Shebab insurgents.
AMISOM troops were deployed to Somalia in 2007 to defend the government against attacks by the Shebab.
“Around 9am there was an explosion outside one of our gates, about 200 metres away,” mission spokesman Joe Kibet told AFP. “It looks like an attack, they intended to attack. Now the situation is calm and our personnel is working on it,” he added.
The Shebab were forced out of the capital five years ago but continue to carry out regular attacks on military, government and civilian targets.
In recent months they have claimed attacks on bases of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) as well as civilian targets including hotels.
This year is considered critical for the group, which is eager to disrupt an expected change of government leadership due in the coming months.
Somalia was supposed to hold national elections this year but is instead going to hold what diplomats call a “limited franchise election” in which ordinary citizens do not participate. The UN now hopes a oneperson-one-vote election will be possible in 2020.