Somali security forces announced Sunday that they had successfully repelled a deadly assault by al-Shabab militants on a high-security prison in Mogadishu, killing all seven attackers during a six-hour siege.
The attack occurred Saturday evening at the Godka Jilacow prison complex, a heavily fortified facility operated by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency. Located near the presidential palace, the prison is considered one of the most secure sites in the capital.
Witnesses reported hearing intense gunfire and explosions as militants, disguised in military uniforms, stormed the compound. “We thank God for sparing us from this disaster,” said Halima Hassan, a local resident. “We fled the explosion and the skirmishes as soon as they began.”
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda linked extremist group, claimed responsibility for the assault, stating its aim was to free imprisoned members. However, Somali authorities confirmed that no inmates escaped during the attack.
While the government confirmed the deaths of all assailants, the number of casualties among security personnel remains unclear. Abdulkadir Adam, a private ambulance operator, reported transporting nearly 25 injured individuals to hospitals across the city.
The incident came just hours after the federal government removed several long-standing roadblocks in Mogadishu barriers that had been installed to protect key government installations but were criticized for hindering traffic and commerce.
Mogadishu had experienced a period of relative calm in recent months, as Somali forces, supported by local militias and African Union troops, made significant gains against al-Shabab in central and southern regions of the country.
The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia condemned the attack, calling it “cowardly.” Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, stated, “This attack once again demonstrates the group’s utter disregard for human life and its attempts to reverse the hard-won gains in peace and security.”
