Al-Shabaab vows more terror attacks

Mogadishu,

Islamist rebel group Al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Raghe vowed Thursday the movement will continue terror attacks on foreign targets.

Sheikh Raghe’s statement came after a suicide mission at noon on Thursday targeted the main base of the peacekeepers serving the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM.

“We are determined to keep away the foreign forces with deadlier suicide bombings,” said the spokesman of Al-Shabaab.

“Their presence in this country is a problem to the Somali people,” he added.

The sheikh also stated that Al-Shabaab fighters will multiply assaults on the forces of the Somali Transitional Federal Government.

“Our fighters are ready for all kind of missions in order to neutralise the puppet regime (the TFG) and expel foreign forces from the land of the Muslim Somali people,” said Sheikh Raghe.

The TFG’s Prime Minister, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, condemned the attack and confirmed that two vehicles were involved in the attack against AMISOM peacekeepers on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siyad Indha’adde, the TFG’s State Minister for Defence, termed the bombing "cowardly."

Sheikh Yusuf Indha’adde warned that the TFG will react.

“The government will retaliate soon, soon and soon,” remarked the TFG’s State Minister for Defence. “The anti-peace forces will face the consequence of their brutal actions,” he added.

Another TFG official made similar remarks against Al-Shabaab and Hizbu Islam, the second Islamist group opposing the government. Colonel Abdullahi Hassan Barise, the Spokesman of the Police Force, accused the two Islamist movements of rejecting all peace proposals.

“Through the suicide bombings in Mogadishu, the anti-peace groups have shown their true colours,” said Colonel Barise. “It is amounts to declaration of war and we shell respond accordingly,” added the colonel.

On the other hand, AMISOM officials in Mogadishu said that the suicide acts will not dishearten the peacekeepers.

Major Barigiye Bahoku, the spokesman, told the local media that the peacekeepers will continue to help the Somali people to achieve peace.

“The action on Thursday is not going to change our mandate,” said Major Bahoku. “We are going to continue working with the Somali people in their determination (to stabilise the country),” remarked Maj. Bahoku.

“The anti-peace elements are few and would not deter our operations,” added the officer.