Al-Shabab Members Pose as Military Personnel to Attack Somalia's Detention Center
All seven militant fighters who launched an attack on a maximum-security detention facility in the capital city have been neutralized, according to government statements.
An enormous blast and intense gunfire were heard coming from Godka Jilicow - a facility that holds al-Shabab members - in Mogadishu on Saturday.
In a statement, al-Shabab claimed it had released "all Muslim prisoners" from the facility and caused significant losses on security forces guarding the complex.
The militants disguised themselves as soldiers in order to gain entry the detention facility, according to reports published on the following day.
The authorities did not disclose how many of its security forces were lost during the attack, but offered condolences to the families of "those who perished."
Likewise, al-Shabab did not release a death toll for its affiliated militants.
The confrontation commenced at around 4:40 PM local time (13:40 GMT).
The detention center is located near the Somali presidential palace, in the center of the capital. It is manned by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency and detains al-Shabab fighters and other notable detainees.
The attack represents a significant setback to the intelligence agency and is expected to prompt concerns about how the militants were able to access one of the most secure locations in the capital.
The militant group is affiliated to al-Qaeda and has conducted a brutal campaign against the authorities in Somalia for nearly two decades.
Just hours before Saturday's incident took place, the authorities had reopened access to key roads in Mogadishu which were formerly blocked for security reasons, citing improvements in the city's security situation.
