Somali President, PM targeted in mortar shell attacks

GOOBJOOG NEWS|DHUSAMAREB:  Al-Shabaab militants Monday night fired several mortar shells targeting president Mohamed Farmaajo, Prime Minister Mohamed Roble and the Federal Member States presidents who are gathering in Dhusamareb for electoral talks in one of its most high profile attacks this year.

Sources at the town told Goobjoog News the militants fired nine mortar shells which hit buildings in the city and the airport. Four people including a policeman were injured in the attack.

Federal Member State presidents Abdiaziz LaftaGareeen of South West, Ahmed Qoor-qoor (Galmudug) and HirShabelle’s Ali Gudlawe were also present in the city. The Federal Government and state leaders are expected to kick off talks on elections in Dhusamareb today.

This will be the fourth round of talks in the central Somalia town by the FGS and FMS leaders amid persisting differences which have seen elections postponed three times.

Meanwhile, two soldiers were injured this morning when their vehicle ran into a landmine in the same city barely six hours after the mortar shell attacks.

The militant group Al-Shabaab which has claimed responsibility for the attacks has upped offensives against civilian attacks in what is indicative of their attempts to interfere with this years’ elections. The group stormed Hotel Afrik in Mogadishu Sunday evening killing over ten people.

Unlike the 2016/17 elections when the group kept at bay, recent attacks in the city and various parts of the country could suggest the group may be bent on mounting more attacks especially given that close to 30,000 delegates will be electing MPs in at least two centres within each FMS.