Somalia: Al Shabaab marks first day of Ramadan with botched attack

ADADO, Somalia, June 18, 2015(Garowe Online)-As Somalis are observing the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, Ramadan, coordinated terror attack by Al Shabaab gunmen on a building housing delegates Thursday ended in failure in central town, Garowe Online reports.

Militants in military fatigues tried to ram an explosive-laden car into the building, but the plot went wrong according to a spokesman for Somalia’s Ministry for National Security, Mohamed Yusuf.

Security forces manning an entrance to the residence, and were appearing to have received a tip-off shot three militants on the spot. The attackers were reportedly planning to shoot their way into the house of Adado conference delegates.

“No casualties have been resulted in except for the assailants. The security forces foiled, they were four people in number, one blew himself up in the car and the three other [attackers] were shot dead by the security forces,” the official told the Media.

Al Shabaab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they killed Ethiopian soldiers at a security checkpoint near Kafalo building.

GO couldn’t reach independent sources in Adado for exact number of fatalities from the botched attack.

Al Shabaab is known for staging a string of deadly assaults in the holy month of Ramadan every year. Residents in Mogadishu broke fast to volleys of gunfire and scramble for cover last year.

In an attempt at curbed rampages, Somalia government deployed hundreds of police officers into the streets of war-torn Mogadishu on the eve of dawn-to-dusk fasting month of Ramadan. 

GAROWE ONLINE