UPDATE - Somali president condemns shooting at military camp targeting UAE military advisors

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Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Casualties have been reported Saturday in a shooting at a military training camp in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, according to officials.

The shooting was carried out by a military “recruit” who opened fire at the General Gordon military facility, resulting in several casualties, a security source told Anadolu on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The attacker opened fire and targeted United Arab Emirates military advisors before he was shot dead by the security forces.

The number of deaths and injuries remains unknown but media reports said five people, including Emarati military advisors, were killed in the attack

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud strongly condemned the “heinous attack.”

Mohamud sent condolences to the families, people and the government of the UAE for the deaths of those “who came to Somalia to participate in rebuilding our national army.”

He has instructed security agencies to launch an investigation into the attack.

The Al-Shabaab terror group claimed responsibility for the attack and said one of its infiltrators was behind the attack.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected for a second term in 2022, declared an "all-out war" on the group.