Al Shabab claims assault on Somali ministry
Nine people were killed in an attack on Somalia’s interior ministry, and security forces were contining to battle gunmen inside, police said yesterday.
The Al Shabab militant group claimed responsibility.
Gunfire could be heard as reports emerged that several people, mostly government workers, were trapped in the ministry on what was a normal business day in the capital of Mogadishu.
More than 10 people were wounded and the death toll could rise, Col Ahmed Mohamed said.
The attack began in the morning, when a suicide car bomber detonated explosives at the gate of the interior ministry, close to the presidential palace and the headquarters of parliament, police Capt Mohamed Hussein said.
Three gunmen were believed to be inside the ministry, he said, as shooting could be heard in the background.
Ambulance sirens echoed across the area as soldiers fired to disperse bystanders and motorists.
Al Shabab, an arm of Al Qaeda based in Somalia, often targets high-profile areas of the capital.
It was blamed for the October lorry bombing that killed more than 500 people, in what is the deadliest attack in the country’s history.
The ongoing threat from what has become the deadliest extremist group in Sub-Saharan Africa has hurt efforts to strengthen Somalia’s fragile government and stabilise the Horn of Africa nation. The United States under President Donald Trump has stepped up military efforts in Somalia, including dozens of drone strikes, against Al Shabab and the small presence of fighters linked to the ISIS extremist group.
At least two US military personnel have been killed.
The US military and others in the international community have expressed concern about a plan for Somalia’s security forces to take over the country’s security from a multinational African Union force over the next few years, saying local troops are not yet ready.