Somalia: Mogadishu mayor declares operations to curb rising insecurity

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The mayor of Mogadishu, Abdirahman Omar Osman declared the start of new large-scale operations in the capital aiming to suppress growing insecurity, Garowe Online reports.

Speaking at a press conference, Osman noted that the house-to-house operations which come following a series of car bombs in the city are meant to hunt down Al-Shabaab cells mixed with the local population.

"Since it's a massive operation targeting houses across the city, we ask the public at large to exercise more patience and cooperate with the security personnel in the line of duty," said Mogadishu mayor.

He said that the capital will be on lockdown during the searches and crackdown on the militants, adding that his administration will provide buses and ambulances to those affected by the road closures.

The mayor's decision came hours after the Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has convened Saturday an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the worsening security situation in Mogadishu.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Somalia restructured the top army chiefs, in a move that was carried out to show that the country is gearing up for a major offensive against Al-Shabab.

The latest string of attacks in the seaside city prompted the army to prepare for a wide-ranging operation aiming to purge the presence of Al-Shabab in the country, regardless of the consequences.

Since Farmajo ascended to power in February in 2017, the Horn of African nation has been hit by the worst terrorist attacks, including the October 14 truck bomb at K-5 junction which left nearly one thousand people.

The carnage was blamed on al-Qaida allied extremists by Somali Government.

GAROWE ONLINE