Five terrorists killed as police thwart attempted prison break in Somalia

Security forces in Somalia successfully thwarted an attempted prison break by convicted Al-Shabaab terrorists at the Mogadishu (Hamar) Central Prison on Saturday, killing five of them.

Local media reported that the incident began with a confrontation between security guards and the inmates, most of them serving death sentences. The convicts gained access to weapons and started shooting inside the prison.

"Security forces have concluded an operation in Mogadishu Central Prison where terrorists who were sentenced to death attacked prison guards. The security forces neutralised five terrorist inmates involved in the incident," the police said in a statement.

Four prison warders sustained injuries in the incident, the police reported, adding that the rapid response by the Somali Custodial Corps prevented an escalation and ensured the safety of other inmates and prison staff.

After the incident, the bodies of the inmates who were killed were displayed and their identities were confirmed.

Some of their relatives questioned how they gained access to the weapons, given the stringent security measures in place.

Halima Hassan, speaking to Rajo Television, said, "Whenever I and other relatives take food to our kin, we are searched thoroughly. I don't know how those weapons got into the prison."

Earlier this year, Hassan A. Nor 'Shuute,' a senior security official and head of military tribunals, pointed out the issue of overcrowding at the Mogadishu Central Prison and called on the government to build another facility.

He suggested that the new prison be used to hold high-security inmates, including those convicted of capital murder and militant insurgents.

Hassan noted that the central prison was designed to hold 800 inmates but was hosting twice that number.

"We don't have enough prisons," he said.