Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khaire, has ordered police and intelligence agents to intensify security by one hundred percent after Friday’s twin bombings that killed nearly 40 people, injuring a dozen others.
Friday’s deadly attacks are yet another reminder of Al-Shabaab’s ability to strike at will.
Five gunmen disguised as members of the police force carried out the brazen attacks – ending months of relative stability in a city often a target for the militant group
The country’s Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has since instructed security chiefs to ensure that such an attack never happens again
“We must remain alert and fight the enemy that has chosen to kill innocent civilians. Day and night we must be vigilant. I hereby instruct the senior security commanders and the stabilization force to ensure that peace is restored in Mogadishu”, Khaire said.
Four days after the attack, the government is yet to provide answers on just how the attackers managed to acquire the latest police uniforms and pass various security checkpoints.
The ministry of national security has since issued a new directive that among others restricts the movement of troops and use of heavy weaponry in the capital.
“We will no longer tolerate the presence of troops on the streets of Mogadishu. We have place a ban on the movement of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. Government officials will only have four AK 47 rifles as part of their security detail”, Mohamed Abukar Islow, minister of national security said.
The Al-Qaeda affiliated group has since claimed responsibility. The group’s ever increasing tactics seem to have frustrated authorities. In previous attacks its fighters have disguised themselves as intelligence forces, military police and even wore Burundian military uniform in an attack on a Mogadishu hotel in November 2015.
It’s not the first time Al-Shabaab has launched a brazen attack on Villa Somalia, the country’s presidential palace. In July 2014, its fighters stormed the palace killing senior government officials and security personnel after detonating an explosive vehicle at the main entrance. Experts say, its attacks that have emboldened the group – making it Africa’s most dreaded terrorist outfit.
It’s exactly the same tactic that the militants used in the latest attack – detonating two vehicles outside the palace and intelligence headquarters. But this time round, authorities say that the security forces acted swiftly, neutralizing the gunmen before reaching their intended target.
