MOGADISHU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces have thwarted an al-Shabab attack on the country's main detention facility in the capital, Mogadishu, killing seven militants, the Somali government said on Sunday.
Security forces ended a several-hour siege on Saturday night at the Godka Jilicow facility, one of the main detention centers operated by the National Intelligence and Security Agency, the Ministry of Internal Security said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
"The cowardly attack by al-Shabab terrorists was swiftly foiled, and all seven militants were killed within a short time. The attackers used a pickup truck painted in the colors and insignia of security vehicles and wore military-style uniforms to disguise themselves," said the statement.
This deception enabled them to bypass some security checkpoints in the city, where vehicles belonging to the armed forces are not routinely inspected, the ministry added.
According to the statement, the assailants launched the attack with an explosive-laden vehicle before storming the facility on foot at around 4:40 p.m. local time on Saturday. Security forces swiftly responded and killed all seven attackers within a short period.
The ministry reaffirmed the government's commitment to intensifying counterterrorism operations across the country until all remaining al-Shabab hideouts are dismantled.
Al-Shabab, which has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters had freed some prisoners.
The extremist group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 but remains capable of carrying out attacks targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants, and public places. ■
