Mogadishu Airport, Halane Camp Targeted in Al-Shabaab Mortar Attacks

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Al-Shabaab militants fired mortars at Mogadishu’s international airport and the nearby Halane military base early on Sunday, wounding two civilians in residential areas, security sources and locals said.

At least six mortars struck the Halane compound in the Wadajir district around 6:05 a.m. local time (0305 GMT), a heavily guarded facility housing Western embassies, international organizations, and the African Union’s AUSSOM mission, according to witnesses and a security official.

Several rounds also landed in nearby neighborhoods, including Kaawo Godey, where a woman and a young man were injured, residents reported. “We heard a loud explosion near our home. Two people were hurt, and it’s caused a lot of fear,” a local, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Garowe Online.

The AUSSOM confirmed the attack but said no personnel at the base were harmed. “The Halane base was targeted at 6:05 a.m., but there were no casualties among our forces,” the spokesperson said.

Somali authorities have not issued a statement, and no group has claimed responsibility. However, Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group fighting to overthrow Somalia’s government, is suspected of carrying out the assault.

The attack comes a day after mortars hit near the presidential palace, with one striking the National Theatre and injuring several people. Earlier this week, the militants targeted Aden Adde International Airport during a visit by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, while violence has also surged in the Lower Shabelle region.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group has intensified its campaign of bombings and mortar attacks in recent weeks, targeting government and foreign installations in Mogadishu.

The latest strike underscores the ongoing security challenges facing Somalia’s capital, which the group continues to target. Egypt Air and Turkish airlines delayed their flights to Mogadishu following the mortar shelling, according to sources.

GAROWE ONLINE