MOGADISHU, Somalia — At least six people were killed when Al-Shabab fighters stormed a Somali intelligence prison in the capital, Mogadishu.
Saturday’s attack began with a suicide car bombing, followed by gunmen breaching the walls of Godka Jilacow, a high-security intelligence facility.
Reliable sources said the attackers used a vehicle resembling a spy agency car, helping them bypass the compound’s heavily guarded security perimeter unnoticed.
Eight militants reportedly entered the prison and began shooting indiscriminately, clashing with guards and taking partial control of the intelligence base.
Somalia’s elite special forces responded quickly, engaging in heavy firefights with militants as the siege continued into late afternoon hours.
Officials confirmed several detainees escaped during the chaos, including suspected senior Al-Shabab members. Some were later recaptured by residents and police.
Godka Jilacow houses high-risk terror suspects and doubles as a central hub for Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency operations.
The attack came hours after Somalia reopened 52 roads in Mogadishu, previously shut down due to worsening security and insurgent threats.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked group, frequently targets Somali security institutions in its long-running war against the internationally backed federal government.
