Al Shabaab ‘soldier’ opens fire, killing at least four in Somalia military camp1 min read
A soldier in a military camp that is run by experts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Somali capital Mogadishu opened fire killing at least four people and injuring several others on Saturday.
The incident at General Gordon camp in Hodon district occurred just after sunset when the soldiers were busy performing the early evening prayers.
The lone attacker was killed in the incident.
The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militant group immediately circulated a statement, claiming responsibility for the attack.
Although no official figures were given by the Somali government, the Emirati government said three members of its armed forces and one Bahraini officer were among those killed “as a result of being exposed to a terrorist act in the sisterly (federal) republic of Somalia.”
UAE ‘s Ministry of Defence said the dead officers had been training and “qualifying the Somali Armed Forces, which falls within the bilateral agreement between the UAE and Somalia in the framework of military cooperation between the two countries.”
The UAE, it said, will continue with the programme.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the wounded officers at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Hospital in Mogadishu, a health facility run by a Turkish medical team.
In a statement, President Mohamud ordered immediate investigations into the incident, while promising tough action against the perpetrators.
President Mohamud also sent a message of condolence to the government of the UAE.
