How Al-Shabaab raided high-security Intelligence detention facility in Mogadishu 

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In one of the most sophisticated security breaches in Somalia, the Al-Shabaab fighters infiltrated a renowned detention camp operated by the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), exposing serious security gaps in the country.

For several hours since Saturday evening, security teams engaged in fierce gunfight battles with the militants, who had gained access to the centre, used for the detention of hardcore criminals, including Al-Shabaab convicts.

The siege ended on Sunday morning, leading to the elimination of seven fighters with the Ministry of Interior's strict measures to protect the capital, Mogadishu, which had been experiencing relative stability.

"All seven Al-Shabaab Kharijites behind the cowardly attack on the Godka Jilacow have been neutralised. The Ministry of Internal Security emphasised its commitment to fully enforcing laws to secure the capital and implementing stricter controls on military-painted vehicles and weapons," state media reports.

Godka Jilaow, known for interrogations of criminals, came under unprecedented attack late on Saturday, with multiple residents saying they could hear gunfire within the vicinity of the facility. The facility is located in central Mogadishu.

According to reports, Al-Shabaab’s attack started with a car bomb, followed by armed militants who reportedly attacked the heavily guarded facility. The terror attack came on the day President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud opened the Somalia–U.S. Presidential Trade Summit held in Mogadishu.

Also, hours earlier, Somalia reopened the Mogadishu roads that had been closed for years due to security reasons. Al-Shabaab militants remained holed up in the Godka Jilaow prison in Mogadishu all night. Gunfire occasionally rang out from the facility, residents said.

Further reports indicated that the militants apparently used a vehicle and uniforms painted with the colours of the national intelligence agents. One of the vehicles was turned away from one checkpoint. It attempted a different checkpoint and successfully reached its target, according to reports.

Meanwhile, the federal government reported new airstrikes in the past 24 hours - conducted against al-Shabaab in Jilib, Mubarak, Ugunji and Kunyo Barrow, where al-Shabaab members, including its deputy commander of the Amniyat wing - Mohamed Osman Mohamed Tuutah, were killed.

The attack on the detention facility comes at a time when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is under pressure to divert attention towards defeating the militants, with critics arguing that he is obsessed with the 2026 polls rather than defending the country from the violent extremist groups.

GAROWE ONLINE