Somali, AU forces repel Al-Shebab attack on president

Heavily armed Al-Shebab fighters ambushed Somalia President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Tuesday while he was on a surprise visit to Afgoye town, where pro-government forces have been fighting the Islamist rebels.

Reuters/Feisal Omar

Afgoye was captured by troops loyal to his government and the African Union (AU) force, Amisom, captured from Al-Shebab at the end of last week.

The attack happened in Alamada, a neighbourhood between Mogadishu and Afgoye, after Al-Shebab fighters attacked the president’s convoy as it was on its way back to Mogadishu.

According to witnesses, fighters used RPGs and machine guns during the ambush, which lasted an hour. Somali troops along with Amisom repulsed the attack.

The president escaped unharmed but witnesses said two of the president’s entourages were wounded in the surprise attack.

Al-Shebab has claimed responsibility for the attack saying that it had been well planned and carried out by a group of fighters who performed a vanishing trick after the ambush.

But Somali military commanders say they captured four fighters, claiming that the prisoners were behind the attack and will be brought before a court in the coming days.

Before the attack the president visited parts of Afgoye town and spoke to a handful of the residents, urging them to reopen businesses closed during the fighting.

He said that he was very happy to visit Afgoye after a gap of six years and congratulated the armed units. The town of Afgoye is located 30 kilometres south-west of Mogadishu and was used as an axis for Al-Shebab to travel across southern Somalia.