At least 8 killed in shootout during failed jailbreak in Somali capital

Five prisoners and three soldiers were killed July 13 in a failed attempt by some inmates to break out of a prison in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, a corrections officer said, Report informs referring to AP.

Twenty-one people were wounded in the July 13 morning incident, said Col. Abdikani Khalaf, spokesman for the Somali army’s custodial corps.

Speaking after the incident was over, he told reporters that some inmates armed with small arms and hand grenades exchanged fire with guards.

State-run media reported that an elite police unit intervened to thwart the attempted jailbreak.

The gunfire and explosions had interrupted weeks of relative calm for residents of Mogadishu, which faces sporadic attacks from the Islamic militant group al-Shabab.

The prisoners involved in the attempted jailbreak were believed to be members of al-Shabab, although it has not claimed responsibility for the incident.

Somali authorities said they had launched an investigation into how inmates were able to acquire weapons.