Somalia: Mortar rounds hit near Mogadishu airport; 5 dead

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least five civilians were killed and 10 others wounded after mortar rounds fired by suspected extremists hit near Mogadishu's international airport on Sunday morning, Garowe Online reports.

A witness said three mortar shells targeting the heavily guarded airport venue struck a nearby residential neighborhood, leaving five members of the same family including children and women dead.

The wounded have been admitted to hospital for medical treatment.

The city's police said mortars were fired in the direction of Halane, AMISOM’s military command base, close to the Airport, but none of the mortars hit the compound, which also houses diplomatic missions.

- Somalia marks 58th Independence Day - 

Saturday’s attack comes as the country is marking 58 years of Independence.

The annual event is which celebrated on the first of July each year marks the merger of the former Italian Somaliland and the former British Somaliland that formed the present day the Somali Republic.

The celebration took place last night at Mogadishu’s Mayor’s palace, where the blue flag with a five-pointed star was raised at 12:00 am local time with the presence of the top leaders of the government.

Fifty-eight years down the line the Horn of Africa country is still facing a wide variety of challenges- on top of them, security, and corruption and Al-Shabab militancy.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is, however, optimistic that the country is on the right track to recovery as it is brushing off the dust of a civil war – moving towards a peaceful and prosperous Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE