Somali security forces on Sunday said they had killed seven al-Shabab militants who stormed a high-security prison in Mogadishu. The government confirmed that all the attackers were killed following a six-hour siege.
The al-Qaeda–linked al-Shabab group launched the assault on the Godka Jilacow prison complex, located near the presidential palace, on Saturday evening. Explosions and gunfire were heard coming from the facility as residents fled for safety.
“We thank God for sparing us from this disaster. We fled the explosion and the skirmishes as soon as they began,” said witness Halima Hassan.
Authorities said the militants, disguised as soldiers, attempted to storm the prison to free some of their detained members. However, the Somali government said no prisoners escaped during the attack.
Godka Jilacow is operated by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency and is considered one of the most secure sites in the capital.
The exact number of casualties among security personnel remains unclear, though a private ambulance owner, Abdulkadir Adam, said his vehicles had transported almost 25 patients from the scene to various hospitals.
Saturday’s attack occurred just hours after the federal government lifted several long-standing roadblocks in Mogadishu. The barriers had been set up to protect key government sites but were criticised by residents for obstructing movement and business.
Mogadishu had experienced relative calm in recent months as government forces, supported by local militias and African Union troops, reclaimed territory from al-Shabab in central and southern Somalia.
The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia condemned the assault on Godka Jilacow as “cowardly.”
“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,” said Ambassador El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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