A Somali army source and hospital staff told Reuters that five people, including Somali military officials and an Emirati soldier, were killed on Saturday, after a soldier opened fire inside a military base in the capital, Mogadishu.
The reasons behind the soldier’s shooting are not yet clear, in a country facing the Al-Shabaab movement, which carries out attacks from time to time.
Last January, at least three people were killed and two wounded in a suicide bombing near the Mogadishu mayor’s office.
A number of witnesses reported at the time that they saw the suicide bomber fleeing from police officers immediately before the bombing.
Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali federal government, supported by the international community, for more than 16 years.
After being defeated from the main cities in Somalia in 2011-2012, the movement remained concentrated in vast rural areas, especially in the center and south of the country, where it regularly launched attacks on military and civilian targets.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an “all-out war” against Al-Shabaab, with the support of American forces and the African Union force.
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2024-02-10 19:44:43
