was not inside the presidential palace when Islamist
Shebab militants launched an attack on the presidential
palace complex, security sources said.
The sources said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was unharmed and safe with guards from the African Union's 22,000-strong
AMISOM force.
The Somalia's Islamist Shebab rebels launched a major
bomb attack and armed assault against the country's
presidential palace late Tuesday, penetrating the
heavily-fortified complex and fighting a major gunbattle
with security guards.
Security sources said Somalia's internationally-backed
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, was unharmed and
safe with guards from the African Union's 22,000-strong
AMISOM force.
"There was an attack on the presidential palace, with
gunmen attacking a checkpoint at the rear of the
compound," police officer Ali Hussein told AFP. "There
was a major explosion and security forces are fighting
them."
A Shebab spokesman said the Al-Qaeda-linked group
was behind the attack, and claim 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
AFP. "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," he added.
Witnesses said there was heavy gunfire and several
blasts believed to be from grenades.
"Bullets are flying around coming from the palace," said
Halimo Nure, who lives close to the compound, one of
the most heavily defended areas of the city. "There is
shooting and gunfire, there are also explosions like they
are using grenades."
The attack appeared to be a repeat of a Shebab assault
against the presidential palace in February. In May the
Islamist insurgents also launched a similar attack against
the national parliament. [AFP]
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