At least ten civilians were killed on Tuesday in an attack on a residence in the Somali capital Mogadishu, for which the jihadist group Shebab claimed responsibility.

Around 15:00 (local time; 14:00 Greek time), Shebab members “attacked a house in the Abdiaziz district”, in the northern sector of the capital, according to a statement from the federal government, which specified that ten civilians were killed and others three were injured.

Somali security forces “rescued and removed numerous civilians from this house and properties around it during the attack,” according to the authorities, who added that the four attackers are dead.

The Shebab (“Youth”), an organization that has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack.

A soldier on the ground, Mohamed Ali, told AFP that the attackers “stormed the building after blowing up the main entrance”. The Shebab “attack civilian homes after being defeated on the battlefield,” he claimed.

Shebab has been waging a guerrilla war against the federal government since 2007, which is supported by the international community. Its fighters were driven from the country’s main cities, including Mogadishu, in 2011, but remain entrenched in vast swathes of the countryside.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who returned to power in May 2022, has vowed to wage “total war” against Shebab; he recently called the group’s members “bedbugs.”

Large-scale operations by the army, with the participation of the African Union military force (ATMIS) and with US air support, allowed the recapture of vast areas in two states of central Somalia, Hirsabel and Galmudug.

Retaliation

In particular, the government announced at the beginning of December that it had recaptured Adan Yabal, a flagship community in Hirsabel, which had been held by Shebab since 2016 and was considered a “training camp” and logistical hub for jihadists in the region.

On January 16, the Somali army announced it had also recaptured Haradere, a “strategic” port city about 500 kilometers north of Mogadishu, held by Shebab since 2010 without a fight. “historic victory”.

The same day, authorities announced that they had recaptured the city of Galkand, also without a fight, after Shebab fighters withdrew before government and pro-government troops arrived.

However, Shebab continues to carry out bloody retaliatory attacks, underscoring that it retains the ability to strike at the heart of Somali cities and military installations.

On January 20, seven soldiers were killed in an attack on the camp, for which Shebab claimed responsibility.

On October 29, 2022, two vehicles rigged with a huge amount of explosives detonated in Mogadishu, killing 121 people and injuring 333 others, the deadliest terrorist attack in five years in the Horn of Africa country, which is also suffering from a historic drought. .

In early October, a triple attack in Balanduene (center), capital of Hiran province, killed 30 people, including local officials. And, in August, at least 21 hotel guests in Mogadishu were killed in a spectacular jihadist attack that lasted some 30 hours.

President Mohamud has announced that Somali army units trained in Eritrea will soon be deployed as part of the war against Shebab.