Mogadishu, (Idil News) – Security soldiers opened fire on two unmanned suicide drones hovering over Villa Somalia, shooting down one of two drones observed over the presidential palace in Mogadishu on Friday evening, amid reports that militant groups – ISIS and Al-Shabaab have begun using drones to carry out bomb attacks.
The incident prompted the swift evacuation of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre from the compound, according to security sources.
Kabtan Ayub, a military officer whose unit was involved in liberating Mogadishu from ICU terrorists during presidency Abdullahi Yusuf’s term and now participating Puntland counterterrorism “Hilaac” operations against ISIS militants, responded, “We have downed 150 drones and detonated them in the air, while we captured 11 of them before they could explode. In Mogadishu tonight, have they been unable to down even a single drone since dusk?”
The attack shows a lack of facility and proper anti-drone defenses, leading presidential staff to fire live bullets in an attempt to shoot down the drone. Multiple gunshots have been heard around the compound.