By Dawan Africa - Reporter
Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Al-Shabaab militants have increased their attacks in Mogadishu despite the ongoing offensive by the Government against the Al-Shabaab fighters in the south-central Somalia.
Al-Shabaab militants have on Wednesday conducted coordinated attacks in Kahda District, employing car bombings and mortar assaults in various parts of the district. The militants targeted four distinct directions within the district, including the district Police station and two security force bases.
Local sources stated that the militants first attacked the district’s Police station by detonating a car implanted with explosive devices at the station’s gate. A fierce confrontation erupted between the militants and the stationed police officers.
Officials from the Benadir regional administration and security authorities visited the attack sites this morning for investigations but refrained from commenting on the incident. They also denied journalists access to information and entry to the police station.
Local sources confirmed that the two Police officers were killed and several others, including security personnel, were injured in the attack.
However, Al-Shabaab militants have released a statement claiming to have killed many soldiers and seized weapons and vehicles from the District’s Police Station.
Al-Shabaab militants have on Tuesday conducted a suicide car bomb attack at an Army base in Mogadishu Wardhigley's district, where they claimed to have killed 23 Somali Forces.
However, the Police stated that only one person was killed and two others injured in the attack.
On Saturday morning, another attack by Al-Shabaab has left seven employees of the civil aviation department, including several Kenyans injured, as well as destruction on the airport facilities after landing mortar rounds into Aden Abdulle International Airport.
These recent Al-Shabaab attacks come at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia intensified its offensive war against the militants group, with a specific focus on the Galmudug region during the second phase of the campaign.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is still currently in Dhusamareb for an unspecified duration to scale up the second phase of the war against Al-Shabaab, known as the ‘Black Lion Operation,’ and to mobilize the local community against the militant group.
The President reiterated his Government’s commitment to completely eliminate Al-Shabaab militants from the country within less than two years, in a public engagement session on Thursday last week.
“The future is not predetermined; we have planned and hope that our plan works well. According to the Government’s plan, we will totally eliminate Al-Shabaab from the country in less than two years. We are determined to eliminate them within a shorter period,” President Hassan said.
