MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Local airlines suspended Dhusamareb-bound flights after anti-aircraft shots had been fired at the regional president Ahmed Qoorqoor’s plane on Monday afternoon during takeoff from the city’s airport.
Galmudug regional officials told media that local flight operators demanded for security guarantee if flights were to be resumed after the attack and that the government stopped short in providing assurances.
Airlines have announced decision to suspend all flights to Dhusamareb after regional government ignored their demands, citing security fears as Al-Shabaab militants continue carrying out attacks on the city’s airport in an almost daily basis.
The move has come after Galmudug president Ahmed Qoorqoor survived an assassination attempt after his plane was fired on and he later safely arrived in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist movement later claimed responsibility. The group has intensified attacks in the region’s capital following Qoorqoor’s election on February, with reports of its fighters encroaching on the strategic city in central Somalia from multiple directions.
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