Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked a prison in Bosaso town that holds terror convicts Thursday evening and were repelled by security forces, police confirmed.
Hussein Ali Mohamud, Bare region police commissioner told media that unknown number of fighters stormed the facility, prompting fighting which lasted for more than fifteen minutes.
“They attacked the gate with IED explosion before the security forces engaged with them in fierce fighting and made sure to repulse the terrorists. They failed to reach their target and were defeated,” he said.
A guards was killed and two others were also wounded in the attack around 11:30 p.m. at Bosaso prison, which holds prisoners from al-Shabaab and ISIS groups.
Among those injured is Bosaso prison commissioner, according to Mohamud.
Bari police commissioner confirmed that some of inmates managed to escape during the fighting.
“Number of prisoners in the jail escaped but some of them have already been recaptured and we are still hunting the rest,” the police said.
Meanwhile al-Shabaab claimed the responsibility for the attack saying their fighters managed to free 400 prisoners among them al-Shabaab members.
The group also claimed to have killed number of prison guards.
