MOGADISHU, July 9: Somali troops retook the presidential palace in the capital of Mogadishu after militants forced their way in and exchanged heavy gunfire with troops and guards, the latest attack underscoring the threat posed by Islamic extremist group al-Shabab in east Africa.
Smoke billowed from inside the heavily-fortified presidential compound, and loud explosions and gunfire could be heard as troops tried to repel the intruders yesterday.
After more than two hours of fighting, Somalia’s presidency said in a Twitter update that “the shameful attack” had been foiled by Somalia’s armed forces fighting alongside African Union peacekeepers.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not inside the palace at the time of the attack, but the prime minister and the speaker of parliament were, said Capt Mohamed Hussein, a senior police official.
The presidency said both President Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed were safe.
The presidential compound, which also houses several government offices, has been the subject of many attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants over the years. It is considered one of the safest places in Mogadishu because of the tight security presence.
The presidency said that the compound has since been secured, but gave no details about any casualties or what happened to the militants. Hussein, the police official, said he counted at least nine bodies.
Some of the militants involved in the attack were dressed as government troops, confusing guards who let them in, said Yusuf Nor, a Somali military official at the scene of the attack. Amid the confusion, he said, some soldiers fired at their comrades.
The attack was the second assault on the presidential palace this year, and it marked the first time militants have been able to breach the compound and take offensive positions inside. The palace is protected by government troops and African Union peacekeepers who helped to drive the al-Shabab militants out of their bases in Mogadishu in 2011.
Yesterday’s attack started when a car bomb exploded outside the presidential compound. Gunmen then entered the palace, police officer Mohamed Abdi told The Associated Press.
Police said the militants, who were armed with grenades, split up into groups once inside and tried to take control of different buildings in the compound.
Al-Shabab militants have previously carried out deadly attacks against lawmakers, UN staff and government officials. (AGENCIES)
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