Hiiraan Online
Tuesday March 1, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud cut short a trip to the Djibouti where he attended a meeting by the leaders of AU troops’ contributing countries to return to Mogadishu after militants launched two deadly attacks in the capital and Baidoa town, southwestern Somalia.
At least 50 people were killed in the two attacks by car bombs and suicide bombers that targeted SYL hotel and the nearby Peace Garden in Mogadishu on Friday as well as two adjacent restaurants in Baidoa town, southwestern Somalia on Sunday.
More than 100 people were also injured in the attacks claimed by Al Shabab group.
Mr. Mohamud who returned to Mogadishu on Monday had also postponed an official visit to Sweden, which was scheduled to take place from 1-3 March 2016.
Upon arrival in Mogadishu, the president had reportedly convened a behind closed doors security with top security officials to address the security challenges facing his government which despite the support of the 22000-strong African Union force is struggling to stop increasing deadly attacks by Al Shabab.
The attacks come after the group’s fighters targeted the presidential palace with mortar shelling late last week; however, the mortars landed in a nearby residential area killed three people, including a woman and a child.
Despite being ousted from large swathes in south and central Somalia, Al Shabab continues to carry out well-planned assaults in the past few years, raising questions about whether the militant group shifted tactics to embrace high-profile attacks targeting landmarks, as parts of the group's new guerrilla attacks.
Somali prime minister had vowed his government would oust militants from the areas still under their in 2016, a year the government proposed to hold a presidential election.