Somali Government Forces on Saturday successfully repelled a six-hour siege by al-Shabab militants at the Godka Jilacow prison, located near the President’s office in Mogadishu, killing all seven attackers.
Authorities confirmed on Sunday that no civilians, security personnel, or prisoners were killed or escaped during the attack, which the al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for. The assault came just hours after the federal government lifted long-standing roadblocks in the capital — a move aimed at easing traffic but one that had previously served as a security measure around critical state installations. Mogadishu had experienced relative calm in recent months as joint operations between government forces, local militias, and African Union troops drove militants from key strongholds in central and southern Somalia.
Emergency services were swiftly mobilised, with private ambulance owner Abdulkadir Adam reporting the transport of nearly 25 patients from the scene to hospitals. Abdulkadir Yousuf Abdullahi, director of a private hospital, said his facility received an unspecified number of patients and provided urgent care while working to identify victims and contact families. State media revealed that the attackers had used a vehicle disguised to resemble intelligence unit transport to infiltrate the area. The government hailed the swift response as evidence of its strengthened capacity to counter militant threats in the capital.