Somalia: Mogadishu district police chiefs sacked amid rising attacks

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali Police chief, General Bashir Abdi Mohamed has sacked commissioners for seven districts in the country's capital, Mogadishu on Monday, Garowe Online reports.

The Police commanders of Kahda, Waberi, Wardhigley, Hamar-Jajab, Heliwa, Shibis, and Dharkenley have been relieved of their duties amid a surge in Al-Shabab bomb attacks and assassinations in the city.

No reason for the ‘firing’ of the local police chiefs.

This comes as the Somali Police force has taken full charge of Mogadishu through what is suspected to be security shake-up in wake of several blasts in the city for the last few months.

The police took over the security responsibility from Mogadishu Stabilization Forces who have been handling the security of the city for the last twelve months were replaced with police after failure.

Last April, Somali government deployed the police forces at the checkpoints and roads initially manned by the Stabilization forces and are dealing with the mounting attacks from the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists.

On Tuesday, two civilians were shot dead in separate incidents in the capital by suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen, who fled the scene instantly. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the killings.

Al-Shabaab, which once controlled much of the country, including the capital, wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and 22,000 AU forces.

GAROWE ONLINE