Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants reportedly fired at least five mortar shells that targeted a base camp housing the U.S. Embassy and other foreign missions, including the United Nations, in the country’s capital of Mogadishu, Somalia local media reported on March 19.
In yet another daring raid against foreign missions in Mogadishu, the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab fired the mortars in a heavily fortified Halane base camp on Wednesday night. This is not the first time the Islamist militants have attempted to breach security on up scaled security complexes. The militants have previously fired mortar shells targeting Villa Somalia in Mogadishu.
Military sources in Somalia confirm of the raid with multiple sources reporting there were casualties, although the number could not be immediately ascertained.
Halane base is a strategic target to the militants. It neighbors Aden Abdulle International Airport. Cases of the attacks at the base are almost identical, with a number of them often linked to rivalry among security forces manning the base.
On one of their affiliate website, the Al-Shabaab took responsibility, alleging that foreigners were the greatest threat to Somalia’s growth vowing for more attacks on their bases.
However, the Al-Qaeda linked militant group did not immediately reveal their main target. The attack comes barely a week after Ahmed Omar Diriye, the Al-Shabaab leader, reportedly took charge of explosives brigade in Mogadishu, following the death of Muse Moalim, who was killed by the Shabaab militants in Saakow after defection.
