At least seven people were killed after militants from the terrorist group “Al-Shabaab“ attacked a high-security prison in the Somali capital Mogadishu today, security officials confirmed, quoted by DPA and BTA.
Three gunmen are still at large in the “Godka Jilakov“ prison, which is located in close proximity to the presidential palace in the Bondhere district of Mogadishu.
Four of the attackers were killed in a shootout with prison guards, said senior security official Abdikamid Dhangad.
He added that one prisoner and two security guards were also killed.
According to the police official Mohamed Dahir, the attack began with a suicide car bomb attack, after which gunmen stormed the prison.
The prison, which is used to interrogate suspected militants, consists of multiple underground cells, Dhangad said.
“Al-Shabaab“ is a militant group fighting to establish an Islamist state in Somalia. It claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its radio station “Andalus“.