Al-Shabab launches mortar assault on Presidential Palace vicinity in Mogadishu

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (Caasimada Online) – A series of mortar attacks targeted at the vicinity of Somalia’s Presidential Palace and surrounding areas on Tuesday, causing damage and injuries. 

According to Caasimada Online sources, seven mortar shells fell near the Presidential Palace, the SYL monument, the Ministry of Information, and a primary school in Hamar Weyne district. The attack injured two students and a street vendor at the school.

The extremist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack in an official statement, claiming that they had launched nine missiles, with three of them striking the Presidential Palace. However, these claims have not been verified by any other sources. 

This was the second attack on government buildings in Mogadishu in the past three days.

On Sunday, at least six people were killed, and several others were injured in an attack by Al-Shabab militants at the mayor’s office in the central district of Mogadishu. The attack began with a suicide bomb causing a massive blast that destroyed a building near the office complex. After the explosion, gunfire erupted, and a four-hour siege ensued. 

According to police spokesman Sadik Dodishe, five attackers were killed during the fire exchange with the security forces, and one detonated himself. Six civilians also died during the attack. 

Al-Shabab, a militant organization linked to Al-Qaeda, also claimed responsibility for the attack through its communication channels. The group stated that its fighters had “made their way inside the building after killing the security guards.”

This latest attack comes on the heels of another assault just days prior, where seven soldiers were killed at a military camp in Galcad, a town in central Somalia. The United States military has reported that more than 100 Al-Shabab militants attacked Galcad.

In recent months, the Somali National Army and local clan militias have made significant progress in their offensive against the group, reclaiming territory in the center of the country with the support of US air strikes and an African Union force. However, the militants continue retaliating and striking with deadly force against civilian and military targets. 

Despite ongoing efforts by Somalia’s intelligence agencies to prevent attacks by Al-Shabab, the group continues to carry out deadly attacks in the capital.

Security analysts believe that if the group is cleared from regions along or near Mogadishu, it may reduce the frequency of attacks in the city. 

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