MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Islamic extremists attacked the international airport in Somalia’s capital on Wednesday, wounding at least three policemen, officials said.
Somali security forces repelled the attack, killing two of the assailants, police commander General Abdi Hassan Hijar told the Somali news agency.
The attackers, armed with guns and grenades, posed as airport employees when they launched the attack, the police commander added.
The two assailants attempted to enter a military base located inside Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport, but were blocked, said Senior Police Spokesman Abdifitah Adan. Three policemen were injured, he added.
The Islamist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the fact, stating that its fighters managed to penetrate a complex where several diplomatic missions are located.
A dense column of black smoke emanated from the place where a stray bullet hit a fuel tank, Awil Abdi, a witness to the incident, told the AP.
All flights, both domestic and international, were suspended after the attack, the airport said in a statement.
Al-Shabab often carries out deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia. The rebels wish to impose strict Islamic Sharia law, oppose the government of Mogadishu and oppose the presence of international peacekeepers.
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