MOGADISHU (Somali Magazine) -The Somali intelligence agency warned on Tuesday that the al Shabaab group, which is linked to al Qaeda, plans to target Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.
Since November, the group’s violence has hampered parliamentary elections. The group’s goal is to destabilize the central government and impose its own harsh version of Islamic law.
On Twitter, the National Intelligence and Security Agency said, “We informed key government officials of a plot in which the al Shabaab mafia wants to target the president and prime minister.” “The plot is being carried out by Mohamed Mahir, a senior al Shabaab member.”
The agency did not provide any additional information. President Mohamed’s and Prime Minister Roble’s spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.
Al Shabaab spokespeople could not be reached for comment right away.
The group targets civilians, government officials, and infrastructure on a regular basis. It attacked election delegates in Mogadishu, the capital, in February. Six bystanders were killed, but the delegates were unharmed.
Al Shabaab killed 48 people in Beledweyne, about 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu, including traders, clerics, officials, and civilians, late last month.
On the eve of her expected re-election, Amina Mohamed, a vocal critic of the government, was among those killed.