MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The leader of the central Somalia regional state of Galmudug Ahmed Qoorqoor postponed a trip to the town of Dhusamareb, his administration’s seat of power, Caasimada Online website has reported on Saturday.
The decision has come after Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab shelled an aiport on the outskirts of the town where a plane carrying Mr Qoorqoor and other regional officials would land. At least 10 mortar bombs exploded in and outside the airstrip on Saturday afternoon.
The regional leader, an erstwhile of the embattled Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, escaped an assassination attempt in November last year after militants fired on his plane as it took off from Dhusamareb Airport.
Security officials warned Galmudug president of landing at the airport over fears that militants might again target him, according to Caasimada Online.
Al-Shabaab has been encroaching on the regional capital and nearby towns over the past months since the federal government troops took over control of the region from Ethiopia-backed Sufi militias.
Ahmed Qoorqoor is expected to travel by air to the town of Adado from he will undertake a road trip to Dhusamareb.
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