Turkey condemns Al-Shabaab raid at military base in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The government of Turkey condemned an Al-Shabaab attack that targeted its overseas military base in Somalia on Tuesday, terming the incident "unfortunate and cowardly", in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the statement, Turkey confirmed that TURKSOM Military Training Base came under the Al-Shabaab attack, in an incident that left a civilian and the suicide bomber dead, and two cadets critically injured.

Ankara also condoled with the family of the deceased, adding that it will continue to support the Somali people throughout the difficult time until stability is regained in the country. This was the first major attack targeting a Turkish base in Somalia.

"We condemn the suicide attack perpetrated today in front of a primary school near TURKSOM Military Training Academy in Mogadishu," read the statement which was dispatched several hours after the attack.

"We share the grief of the friendly and brotherly Somali people, wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives during the attack and extend our condolences to their families," it added without revealing immediate measures to secure the base.

Multiple eyewitnesses said a suicide bomber managed to maneuver undetected outside the camp and joined a queue of prospective recruits who had lined up outside the base. The bomber detonated himself after a brief confrontation with elite security forces.

The injured soldiers are currently undergoing treatment in Somalia capital, Mogadishu. The camp is responsible for the recruitment and training of elite Gorgor troops, who have played a critical role in securing Al-Shabaab's former strongholds in rural central and southern Somalia.

In a statement, Al-Shabaab said the attack was a "warning" to "foreign occupiers" in Somalia, adding that they will continue to unleash until the country is "fully secured" from "enemies" of Somalia. The militants have been targeting Turkey, which is a key development partner of Mogadishu.

Last year in December, the militants admitted targeting a Turkish convoy in Mogadishu in an attack that left at least 90 people dead. Although the bomber narrowly missed the target, the explosion left two Turkish nationals dead.

Camp TURKSOM was built in 2017 by the Turkish administration and is located in the Jazeera area, south of Mogadishu. Documents shared in Turkish parliament indicate that the facility cost taxpayers about $50 million.

The Jazeera beach is about 5 kilometers from Aden Adde International Airport, which also shares bases with the heavily fortified Halane Base Camp, home to many diplomatic missions and African Union Mission in Somalia.

So far, four battalions of the Somali National Army [SNA] have graduated from the TurkSom facility, and the fifth is currently being trained at the facility, according to Turkish officials. This also informs the ongoing recruitment.

A total of 150 officers and 250 non-commissioned officers also graduated from TurkSom since 2018. The contingent is also responsible for VIP security in the fragile nation where Al-Shabaab attacks are a norm in various parts of the country.

Somali military officials say the facility has been key to rebuilding the Somali National Army as some of the battalions who graduated have already been fighting Shabab militants in the Lower Shabelle region.

Besides the Turkish-run military base, the Somali government also relies on Americans and the British for training and equipping a dependable army. The US has been training elite troops known as Danab, whose success against Al-Shabaab has attracted international commendations.

GAROWE ONLINE