Somali Police Foil Militant Inmates’ Prison Break Attempt in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU — Chaos erupted on Saturday at Mogadishu’s central prison as militant inmates launched a brazen assault on guards in an attempt to break free, according to Somali security sources.

Armed with pistols and hand grenades, the inmates engaged in a fierce firefight with prison authorities before being subdued.

The attack, believed to have been premeditated with weapons smuggled into the facility, resulted in a tragic toll. According to Abdiqani Mohamed Khalaf, spokesperson for the Somali Custodial Corps, three prison guards lost their lives while three others sustained injuries during the violent altercation.

“Five militants were killed and eighteen others wounded,” Khalaf confirmed during a press briefing in Mogadishu, detailing the casualties among the assailants.

Initial reports on social media platform X from the state news agency had earlier indicated the death of the five militant inmates.

The incident underscores ongoing challenges in maintaining security at the Hamar Central Prison, notorious for housing high-profile al-Shabaab convicts.

All five militants killed were identified as individuals involved in militant bombings and smuggling of explosives within Mogadishu.

Four were on death row, with the fifth serving a life sentence.

Among the deceased, one inmate was convicted for orchestrating multiple attacks, including a raid on the Mogadishu mayor’s office and a deadly suicide bombing at a military academy last year, according to security sources.

Another was implicated in the militant assault on the Hayat hotel in August 2022, which claimed twenty-one lives.

This latest incident echoes a similar attempt in August 2020, when al-Shabaab inmates managed to obtain weapons and instigate a deadly jailbreak, resulting in the deaths of four guards and fifteen inmates, mostly al-Shabaab convicts.

One militant inmate successfully escaped during that incident, which also involved weapons smuggled into the prison concealed within visiting items.

Security forces have since restored order at the prison, emphasizing their commitment to thwarting any further disruptions to public safety posed by militant inmates.