Africa

Home page

Africa

Somalia's Shebab in major suicide attack on presidential palace

21 February 2014 20:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab rebels on Friday launched a major suicide attack against the heavily-fortified presidential palace, home to the country's internationally-backed government, killing officials and guards in a fierce gun battle, APA reports quoting AFP.

A huge car bomb exploded at the perimeter of the central Mogadishu complex, and a group of at least nine suicide attackers breached the Villa Somalia compound, one of the best-defended locations in the war-torn country. Shebab rebels immediately claimed responsibility.

The country's president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, said he was unharmed. He branded the Shebab "a marginal group on the brink of extinction" and vowed Somalia's army and the African Union's AMISOM force would "eliminate" the group.

"A suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into the perimeter wall of the presidential palace and another one with heavily armed men penetrated the area where the first one hit," said Hussein Isa, who witnessed the attack.

Security forces fought a fierce gun battle with the attackers, all young men or teenagers who appeared to be disguised in police uniforms.

Another police official said nine attackers were later found dead and that five Somali soldiers or officials had also died.

A government source said Somalia's former deputy intelligence chief Mohamed Nur Shirbow and Mohamed Abdulle, a close aide to the prime minister, were among the victims. The National Union of Somali Journalists said a local radio journalist was also in a critical condition.

A spokesman for Shebab confirmed to AFP by telephone that the group carried out the attack.

"Our commandos have attacked the so-called presidential palace in order to kill or arrest those who are inside. The enemy had suffered a great deal of harm," Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abu Musab said.

The attack came just a week after the militants carried out a suicide car bomb attack at the gates of Mogadishu's heavily-fortified international airport, and the Shebab spokesman said the hardline Islamist group wanted to show "that no place is safe for the apostate government".

"The airport, so-called presidential palace and anywhere in Somalia can be attacked as we plan," he said.