MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA): Somalia security forces ended a siege by members of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization Sunday at the Banadir Regional Administration headquarters in the capital Mogadishu.<\/p>\n
The attack by al-Shabaab, which left five people dead, began with a suicide bombing before the terrorists stormed the headquarters and exchanged fire with security guards.<\/p>\n
Somalia’s Information Ministry issued a statement after the siege ended, saying security forces shot dead all six terrorist attackers and managed to rescue regional officials after a multifaceted operation was conducted.<\/p>\n
The ministry said five civilians were killed and sixteen others were wounded in the attack.<\/p>\n
The attackers came on foot disguised as government troops, the ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed 34 people, including officials from the Mogadishu municipality and federal government as well as senior security officials.<\/p>\n
It marked the first deadly complex attack carried out by the terrorist group in Mogadishu this year.<\/p>\n
In late November last year, Al-Shabaab attacked the busy Villa Rays Hotel near Somalia’s presidential palace.<\/p>\n
Security forces ended the attack after a more than 20-hour operation that killed five terrorists.<\/p>\n
Eight civilians were killed in the attack.<\/p>\n
The group has intensified its attacks, mainly targeting security personnel and their bases since the national army, backed by residents, started its offensive against them.<\/p>\n
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on all fronts against the terrorists, and since his announcement, the army has scored significant victories against them.<\/p>\n
Recently, the army liberated the strategic seaside town of Harardhere, which had been under the control of the terrorist group for more than a decade.<\/p>\n
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab and Daesh\/ISIS being among the main threats.<\/p>\n
The UN has warned of growing instability in the country, issuing periodic reports last year that detailed attacks by al-Shabaab and pro-Daesh\/ISIS terrorist groups.<\/p>\n
[Photo: A view of damage at the office of Mogadishu’s mayor after bombings followed by gunfire by Al-Shabaab in Somalia’s capital targeted the Banadir Regional Administration headquarters on Sunday in Mogadishu, Somalia on January 22, 2023. Photojournalist :Abukar Mohamed Muhudin\/AA]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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