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Al-Shabaab claim new Somalia attacks
January 2, 2017, 11:19 am

This photo shows the burned out shell of a car used in a suicide car bombing against international forces in Mogadishu earlier this year [Xinhua]

This photo shows the burned out shell of a car used in a suicide car bombing against international forces in Mogadishu earlier this year [Xinhua]


The Al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia on Monday claimed two attacks which targeted a checkpoint near the Somali capital Mogadishu’s airport.

Police sources said that at least three members of the security forces were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle filled with explosives into the checkpoint.

But medical sources said they expect the death toll to go up. A second blast was heard at the scene of the attack followed by gunfire.

The airport and the nearby United Nations office have been regularly targeted by Al-Shabaab who are linked to Al-Qaeda and fighting the presence of international forces, such as the African Union troops, in Somalia.

The African Union base is also very close by.

Al-Shabaab fighters, who years ago pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda but are opposed to the Islamic State (ISIL), have routinely carried out attacks and suicide bombings against international forces in and around Mogadishu.

They have lost territory since international forces pushed them out of the capital but have nonetheless retained their deadly capacity to carry out effective and fatal attacks throughout the country.

Al-Shabaab have also carried out cross border raids into neighbouring Kenya as a means to pressure the Nairobi government to withdraw its forces from the African Union deployment in Somalia.

Attacks carried out by Al-Shabaab infiltrators are not uncommon in border area.

The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies