Somali troops retook the presidential palace in the capital of Mogadishu after militants forced their way in and exchanged heavy gunfire with troops and guards Tuesday, the latest attack underscoring the threat posed by Islamic extremist group al-Shabab in east Africa, according to Reuters.
Smoke billowed from inside the heavily-fortified presidential compound, and loud explosions and gunfire could be heard as troops tried to repel the intruders, Reuters reported.
After more than two hours of fighting, Somalia's presidency said in a Twitter update that "the shameful attack" had been foiled by Somalia's armed forces fighting alongside African Union peacekeepers, according to Reuters. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not inside the palace at the time of the attack, but the prime minister and the speaker of parliament were, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior police official, Reuters reported.
The presidency said both President Mohamud and Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed were safe, according to Reuters. The presidential compound, which also houses several government offices, has been the subject of many attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants over the years. It is considered one of the safest places in Mogadishu because of the tight security presence.
The presidency said that the compound has since been secured, but gave no details about any casualties or what happened to the militants, Reuters reported. Hussein, the police official, said he counted at least nine bodies.
Some of the militants involved in the attack were dressed as government troops, confusing guards who let them in, said Yusuf Nor, a Somali military official at the scene of the attack, according to Reuters. Amid the confusion, he said, some soldiers fired at their comrades.
The attack was the second assault on the presidential palace this year, and it marked the first time militants have been able to breach the compound and take offensive positions inside, Reuters reported. The palace is protected by government troops and African Union peacekeepers who helped to drive the al-Shabab militants out of their bases in Mogadishu in 2011.
