As per an official statement, the capital city of Somalia, Mogadishu, witnessed two separate attacks on Monday. The first one was on a US base located about 100 km west of Mogadishu in the lower Shabelle region of Baledogle.
This base is actually a US facility to the Somali commando units. The US Special Forces use this base to train the Somali commandos and to launch drone attacks against Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaida linked group.
The responsibility of this attack has been claimed by the insurgent group of Al-shabaab. “In the early hours of Monday morning, an elite unit of soldiers from Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen Martyrdom Brigade launched a daring raid on the US military base,” according to the press release from the group. “After breaching the perimeters of the heavily fortified base, the mujahideen (holy warriors) stormed the military complex, engaging the crusaders in an intense firefight.”
As per the statement of the deputy governor of the Lower Shabelle region, Abdifitah Haji Abdulle, the fighters bombed the entrance of the base before they stormed the premises.
Somali National Army Radio stated that the Somali Forces along with their US partners repelled the coordinated terrorist attack by fighting a small arms fire bravely outside the camp of Somali and US soldiers. Fortunately, no casualties have yet been reported.
According to a statement from the Italian defence ministry, EU advisers in the Italian military convoy training the Somali national army were attacked by a car bomb in Mogadishu. No casualties have yet been reported.
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Italian Convoy Attacked
“There was a car bomb targeting the EU military advisers along the industrial road. A vehicle loaded with explosive was rammed on to one of the convoy vehicles and there are casualties,” said Omar Abikar, a Somali security officer.
Italy’s vice-minister of foreign affairs, Emanuela Del Re, said on Twitter that the real target of the attackers were the Italian soldiers. “Very worried for the explosion at the passage of Italian soldiers EUTM in Somalia,” she said, pointing to the EU training mission in Somalia.
Al-Shbaab has taken the responsibility of this attack as well. Both attacks are being considered as a response to the recent crackdown of the Somali, African Union and US troops against the terrorist group.
