Sunday October 5, 2025
FILE - A Somali police pickup patrols a street in Mogadishu.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government has ordered an immediate crackdown on vehicles painted in military colors after Al-Shabaab militants disguised as government soldiers launched a
deadly assault on the National Intelligence and Security Agency’s (NISA) Jili’ow Interrogation Center in Mogadishu on Saturday.
The Ministry of Internal Security said the militants used a Toyota Hilux bearing the colors and insignia of Somalia’s security forces to infiltrate city checkpoints before attacking the detention center in the capital’s Bondhere district. All seven assailants were killed in a
counteroffensive by government troops.
“Security forces successfully neutralized the attackers in a short period of time, killing all seven assailants involved in the assault,” the ministry said in a
statement released Sunday.
Officials described the operation as a “cowardly terrorist act” and acknowledged that the attackers had exploited gaps in checkpoint inspections that allowed them to bypass security control points undetected.
“The militants used a vehicle painted in the colors of Somali security forces, enabling them to move freely through parts of the city,” the ministry said. “This incident highlights the urgent need to verify and regulate vehicles painted in the colors of government security agencies.”
Under the new directive, security forces stationed across Mogadishu will be required to inspect all military-marked or government-branded vehicles, a sharp policy reversal from current practice, which primarily targets civilian cars. Authorities will also tighten oversight of weapons movement to prevent unauthorized transport within the capital.
The government acknowledged that previous procedures at checkpoints focused almost exclusively on civilian traffic. Officials said this oversight allowed militants to disguise themselves using military insignia without challenge.
“Security agencies are instructed to strictly monitor the movement of weapons and security vehicles within the capital,” the statement added. “All relevant institutions must fully enforce laws and administrative decisions governing security management and arms control.”
The Jili’ow Interrogation Center, one of NISA’s most secure detention sites, holds suspected Al-Shabaab operatives awaiting trial. Saturday’s attack reignited debate about the group’s ability to penetrate government strongholds despite intensified military operations nationwide. The assault revealed how militant cells continue to exploit institutional weaknesses and access fake or unverified vehicles.
“It is imperative that all procedures, regulations, and administrative decisions regarding arms control and vehicle verification be fully implemented to safeguard the capital,” the ministry concluded.
The directive marks a rare public admission of systemic security vulnerabilities in Mogadishu’s layered checkpoint system.