Al-Shabab attack takes the lives of 4 Somalis
2 Min Read
A political crisis brews in Somalia between the president and the prime minister, and a terrorist raid takes the lives of four.
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A Somali man gazes onto what remains of a car bomb explosion, which Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for, in Mogadishu, Somalia, December 28, 2019. (Reuters)
After Al-Shabab fighters, heavily armed, raided a town near Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, 4 people were reported killed, according to the police on Thursday.
Somalia has been going through a political crisis, where the president has been head-to-head with the prime minister.
Read more: Somalia: President suspends prime minister amid election dispute.
How did the violence carry out?
The Al-Shabab militants raided Balcad, a town 30 kilometers from the capital. They were armed with machine guns and RPG rocket launchers, according to the police and some witnesses.
Among the 4 who died, 2 were members of the security forces. The violence also resulted in the injury of 8 people, according to police officer Abdullahi Mohamed. He continued to explain that the militants have been targeting security checkpoints in the raid which happened in the early morning to "terrorize the public."
However, according to the police, the situation has returned to its "normal" state and the government is back in control.
"There was heavy fighting, but the fighters later pulled back and the situation is quiet now," said one resident, Hussein Abdikarin.
Another witness, Shamso Ali, said they were woken by heavy blasts and the sound of machine gun fire as the militants entered the town. "We were shocked to see this happening but thanks to God, we remained at safety inside our houses until the fighting was over," he said.
Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Fears of Al-Shabab attacks rise
On Monday, analysts warned that the internal dispute between the two leaders might hinder the effort of the Somali government in fighting Al-Shabab movement.
Al-Shabab, which is allied to Al-Qaeda, was driven out of Mogadishu a decade ago but eventually seized control of large areas of countryside and continue to conduct deadly attacks in the capital and elsewhere.
