18 killed in attack on foreign military trainers in Mogadishu No deal during interparliamentary meeting between Switzerland and the EU

An attack on a Somali army barracks in the capital Mogadishu killed 18 people and injured 28. At least six military trainers from the United Arab Emirates were among those killed in Saturday’s attack, a military spokesman told the German news agency late on Saturday. A senior Emirati military expert in charge of the training mission in Somalia also died.

According to the information, a man in uniform opened fire on the foreign and Somali trainers. A police spokesman said people had also been killed during evening prayers in a mosque.

According to initial investigations, a member of the Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabaab infiltrated the training ground as a suspected recruit. The militia itself claimed responsibility for the attack on its radio station, saying it had killed foreign mercenaries.

After the attack, a curfew was imposed in large parts of Mogadishu. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud spoke of a barbaric attack. He announced an investigation into the incident.

Last year, the Somali government managed to push al-Shabaab forces out of the capital and restore normality to daily life there after years of violence. However, suicide bombings have increased in Mogadishu in recent weeks, including at a football stadium and a cafe near the city government, indicating that the militia is trying to regain a foothold in Mogadishu.

The Islamists continue to control large areas, especially in central Somalia, where they enforce a radical interpretation of Sharia law, punishable by flogging and mutilation. The terrorist militia is responsible for numerous attacks on politicians, journalists and civil society representatives in Somalia and has also carried out attacks abroad, particularly in Kenya and Uganda. (sda/dpa)