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Militants Attack Somalia’s Parliament Militants Attack Somalia’s Parliament
(about 3 hours later)
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Militants attacked Somalia’s Parliament building on Saturday, with a bomber detonating a car filled with explosives at the building’s entrance followed by several other explosions and an assault by gunmen, witnesses and Somali officials said.MOGADISHU, Somalia — Militants attacked Somalia’s Parliament building on Saturday, with a bomber detonating a car filled with explosives at the building’s entrance followed by several other explosions and an assault by gunmen, witnesses and Somali officials said.
The police said that at least four of the militants were killed in the initial attack at the gate of the building that houses the Parliament, which is guarded by the Somali security forces and members of the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as Amisom. “The suicide car bomber targeted the Amisom and Somali troops guarding the Parliament gate,” said one witness, Mohamed Abdi. “I was shocked.” At least 15 people, mostly assailants, were killed, and more than a dozen guards were wounded, an official said.
Mr. Abdi and other witnesses said a gun battle erupted after the bombing as militants stormed the building, where a session of Parliament was underway. The assailants were repelled by members of the Somali security forces and the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as Amisom.
Several members of Parliament reached by phone said they were safe, but two lawmakers were reportedly wounded outside the building, according to colleagues who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the news media. Officials could not immediately provide information about possible casualties among the Somali and African Union forces or passers-by. Witnesses said that after the car bomber struck the African Union and Somali troops who were guarding an entrance to the Parliament building, a gun battle erupted as militants stormed the building, where a session of Parliament was underway.
The Shabab, an Islamist militant group, claimed the responsibility for the attack. The group has carried out similar attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, including assaults on the presidential palace, the city’s court complex and the United Nations compound, and its fighters killed 67 people at a Kenyan shopping mall last year. Several members of Parliament reached by phone said they were safe, but two lawmakers were reportedly wounded outside the building, according to colleagues who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the news media.
Last month, the Shabab killed two lawmakers in a separate assassination attacks in Mogadishu. Col. Ali Houmed, a spokesman for the African Union mission, said that two African Union soldiers and 13 assailants were killed in the initial attack or the subsequent fighting and that 10 members of the Somali security forces and four peacekeepers were wounded.
The bodies of the dead and wounded, surrounded by pools of blood, could be seen near an entrance gate to the Parliament building. The roads around the building were closed, and ambulance sirens could be heard across the city. Both Somali and African Union forces “resisted the attackers courageously,” Colonel Houmed said. He added that some of the militants were wearing government uniforms, increasing the challenges faced by the guards.
The gun battle began around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, and explosions and gunfire continued to be heard well into the afternoon.The gun battle began around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, and explosions and gunfire continued to be heard well into the afternoon.
The deputy minister of national security, Ibrahim Isak Yarow, said in televised remarks that the attack had been foiled and that all members of Parliament in the building had been safely evacuated. The Shabab, an Islamist militant group, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group was driven out of Mogadishu, the capital, in 2011, but it still controls parts of southern Somalia.
Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed condemned what he called a “cowardly” attack on the Somali Parliament by terrorists, but he praised the Somali security forces and the African Union peacekeepers for their swift response. Its fighters have carried out similar attacks in Mogadishu, including assaults on the presidential palace, the city’s court complex and the United Nations compound, and its fighters killed 67 people at a Kenyan shopping mall last year.
Last month, the Shabab killed two lawmakers in separate attacks in Mogadishu.
The minister for national security, Abdikarim Hussein Guled, resigned Saturday night, according to an announcement carried live on the state-run radio station in Mogadishu. The announcement cited security lapses in the capital in connection with the recent series of militant attacks.
On Saturday, the bodies of the dead and wounded, surrounded by pools of blood, could be seen near an entrance gate to the Parliament building. The roads around the building were closed, and ambulance sirens could be heard across the city.
The deputy minister for national security, Ibrahim Isak Yarow, said in televised remarks that the attack had been foiled and that all members of Parliament in the building had been safely evacuated.
Late Saturday, the bodies of Shabab fighters who were killed in the attack were displayed during a visit to the scene by Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed.
Earlier on Saturday, Mr. Ahmed condemned what he called a “cowardly” attack on the Somali Parliament by terrorists, and he praised the Somali security forces and the African Union peacekeepers for their swift response.
“The security forces are working hard to contain the situation,” Mr. Ahmed said. “All members of Parliament have all been accounted for, and the facts surrounding the incident are currently under investigation.”“The security forces are working hard to contain the situation,” Mr. Ahmed said. “All members of Parliament have all been accounted for, and the facts surrounding the incident are currently under investigation.”
Nicholas Kay, the special representative of the United Nations secretary general for Somalia, also condemned the attack.
“I am appalled and condemn the attack on Somalia’s Federal Parliament,” Mr. Kay said. “The Federal Parliament represents the people of Somalia and their hopes and aspirations for a peaceful and stable future. Today’s attack is an attack against the people of Somalia for which there can be no justification.”
The United States said it would “continue to stand firmly with the Federal Government of Somalia and the many international partners working to support its efforts” to root out the threat posed by the Shabab “and to build a more secure and prosperous future for the Somali people,” said Marie Harf, the State Department’s deputy spokeswoman, in a statement on Saturday. “Cowardly acts such as these will not shake our resolve.”