The Al Qaeda linked Shebab rebels carried out a major bomb and armed attack on Somalia´s presidential palace late night yesterday , penetrating the heavily fortified complex in the capital Mogadishu before blowing themselves up.
Somalia´s internationally backed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed were not inside at the time and were “both safe”, officials said.
“There were at least nine attackers, all have been killed, and the situation is under control, the attack is over,” security official Abdi Ahmed said.
“There were eight blasts towards the end of the fighting, believed to have been suicide vests. They detonated themselves.”
A Shebab spokesman confirmed that the group was behind the attack, and claimed their commandos had managed to seize the president´s office inside the presidential compound known as the Villa Somalia.
“Our commandos are inside the so-called presidential office,” Shebab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told the media . “We are in control of the headquarters of the apostate regime.” The enemy suffered high casualties during the operation, which is ongoing. The assault is a victory for us since the foreign installed government said that security was beefed up.”
