By Jama:
Mogadishu, Somalia –
Over the weekend, al-Shabaab continued its deadly assaults on Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The militants targeted the Daynile and Yaqshid districts of the city, causing several casualties. These persistent acts of violence serve as a reminder of al-Shabaab’s capability to strike almost daily in the capital, despite repeated government assurances of Mogadishu’s safety.
On Friday night, heavily armed members of al-Shabaab launched an assault on a security checkpoint in the Tiida area of Mogadishu’s Daynile District. Daynile, the largest district in the southeastern Banaadir region of Somalia, encompasses the northern outskirts of the national capital.
According to our sources within the area, the insurgents were able to temporarily overrun a security checkpoint and demolish a building before ultimately retreating. Multiple casualties were reported during the attack, including both security personnel and civilians. The exact number, however, could not be verified.
During maghrib (sunset) prayers the following day, Saturday, another attack took place in Mogadishu’s Yaqshid District. Reports from the area indicate that al-Shabaab militants targeted Somali security forces with a hand grenade at a busy junction in Yaqshid. The incident resulted in the deaths of three civilians and one security personnel, with many more sustaining injuries.
Daily attacks in Mogadishu
It is worth noting that the Yaqshid District has been targeted by al-Shabaab repeatedly in recent weeks, despite Somalia’s Prime Minister’s recent assurances about the district’s safety. In his speech from last week, Hamza Abdi Barre commended the improved security of the country and the capital: “The fact that we are in Yaqshid district … reflects the change in the security of the capital. We are on the way to victory, especially the people of Mogadishu.”
The current events, however, illustrate the opposite of what the Prime Minister is saying. The security in Mogadishu has been steadily worsening, with al-Shabaab’s attacks taking place on a daily basis. The surge in violence alone is highly concerning, but how the Somali government communicates it is perhaps even more alarming. The government is misleading the public when it says that “the improved security… in the capital suggests more safety.”
