Somali’s security forces are engaged in heavy fighting at the Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia after Islamist attackers forced their way onto the premises, Somali Police Commissioner Gen. Abdi Hassan Hijar, said on Wednesday.
Somali security forces repulsed the assault, killing two armed attackers, Hijar said, adding that the Al Shabab fighters were dressed in military uniforms and gained entry to the airport.
The airport is located in a heavily fortified “green zone” called Halane Camp, which is also home to embassies and government institutions.
A Somali national and five foreigners are among the dead. Major Abdifatah Aden Hassan, the police spokesman, said the two gunmen were killed by security forces.
Hassan said one of the foreigners was a member of the AMISOM mission of the African Union. Four other individuals provided explosives training to the Somali government, he said.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters were attempting to invade a compound that is home to several diplomatic missions.
The current situation in Somalia is precarious due to the upcoming elections, which have already been postponed several times.
Located on the Horn of Africa, Somalia has been plagued by violence at the hands of al-Shabaab for years.
Terrorists who control large swathes of land in the south and center regularly attack security forces and civilians.
