US warns of possible attacks on ‘multiple locations’ in Mogadishu

US warns of possible attacks on ‘multiple locations’ in Mogadishu

By Harun Maruf
Source: VOA, Tuesday April 9, 2024

A Somali soldier secures the area after a car bomb attack at a Presidential Palace checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP File Photo)

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi says it has received information about threats to multiple locations in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

One of the locations identified as a possible target for the threat is the city’s main airport, the Aden Adde International Airport, which also serves as a base for the African Union mission in Somalia and multiple embassies, including the United States and other Western countries.

“All movements of U.S. Embassy personnel have been canceled for Tuesday, April 9, 2024,” the security alert said. The alert added, “The U.S. Department of State level-four travel advisory (“do not travel”) for Somalia remains in effect due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, and piracy.”

U.S. citizens have been urged to take several measures including reviewing their personal security plans and avoiding large crowds, gatherings and demonstrations, among other steps, to ensure their safety.

The United States did not specify where the threat is coming from, but the al-Shabab militant group has been carrying out attacks against the Somali government, African Union forces and other nations supporting Somalia.