Somalia eliminates all attackers in deadly Mogadishu jail siege

All radical Islamists from Somalia's al-Shabaab militant group that stormed an underground state prison complex over the weekend in the capital Mogadishu have been eliminated.

The attack on the facility belonging to Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) occurred on October 4 and resulted in multiple deaths, as reported by the Baidoa Online portal.

According to media reports, the targeted prison, Godka Jilow, houses al-Shabaab members, including some that have been sentenced to death. The facility is known to be under heavy security.

The militant group, which is an al-Qaeda affiliate, has released a statement in which they claimed responsibility for the attack. They confirmed that their goal was to free some of its members from the prison, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The assault, which marked the largest such attack on the capital in recent months, started with the detonation of a car bomb at the gates of the facility. Following the explosion, armed militants stormed the compound and engaged in a gunfight with security forces. Footage published by the outlet shows extensive damage from the blast, bodies of the victims, and inmates fleeing the scene.

The Somali government announced the following day that all seven attackers who stormed the prison complex have been killed following an hours-long gun battle with law enforcement.

The al-Qaeda–affiliated al-Shabaab group has been active in Somalia since 2004, controlling large areas in the central and southern parts of the country and committing multiple attacks. Its strength is estimated at around 18,000 fighters. The militants are opposed by Somali government troops and supported by local militias, African Union peacekeeping forces, and military personnel from several foreign nations, including the United States.

By Nazrin Sadigova