Mogadishu (KAAB TV) – Somalia’s security forces have been placed on high alert following fresh intelligence that the militant group Al‑Shabaab is planning a major assault on Mogadishu Central Prison, a key detention facility holding high-value Islamist detainees, including death-row inmates.
In a robust address during the 54th anniversary of Somalia’s Custodial Corps, Commander General Mahad Adan, also known as “Taliye Shub,” warned: “Every day we receive intelligence that they plan to attack the Central Prison. … We are prepared to kill anyone who attacks us”.
He urged prison personnel to maintain constant vigilance, urging checks on colleagues and devices entering the facility.
“Someone scrolling on their phone can be ambushed. Be carewful,” he told the officers.
Security has been tightened, and troops have been given orders to use lethal force against any attempt to breach the facility.
This alert comes just a year after Al‑Shabaab’s attempted prison breakout on July 13, 2024, when heavily armed inmates triggered gunfire and explosions in a failed escape that left five prisoners and three soldiers dead, with 21 others injured.
The 2024 jailbreak drew chilling parallels to a successful attack on Bosaso prison in 2021, in which Al‑Shabaab militants freed unknown number of inmates, many of whom were primed to return to the battlefield.
Recent intelligence suggests that Al‑Shabaab aims to replicate such operations in Mogadishu, hoping to replenish its ranks and achieve a symbolic uplift.
Mogadishu Central Prison stands as a critical stronghold in the government’s fight against extremist violence, holding numerous senior Al‑Shabaab commanders convicted of high-profile attacks.
A successful breakout could galvanize the insurgent group, undermine national morale, and pose renewed threats both to Mogadishu and broader East Africa.
Gen. Adan also escalated anti-corruption measures within the custodial corps, warning that any soldier caught trading government-issued arms—even handguns—“will be killed”.
These statements underscore the Somali government’s resolve to restrict militant influence and maintain discipline within its forces.
He further revealed that a new phase of the military campaign against Al‑Shabaab is imminent.
“The war against the Khawarij will resume soon,” he said.
This campaign aims to push deeper into insurgent territory, likely supported by recent coordinated financial sanctions targeting 15 Al‑Shabaab leaders by the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center in April 2025.
Despite setbacks, Al‑Shabaab remains a formidable force.
The group has conducted frequent attacks across Somalia and in neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, including the deadly Beledweyne hotel siege in March 2025 and the Garissa police camp assault in March, killing dozens.
The potential prison assault in Mogadishu not only threatens the security of the facility but also represents a broader risk to regional stability, raising concerns of cross-border militant movements and increased extremist violence.