MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – A Turkish Airlines flight en route from Istanbul to Mogadishu was forced to divert to Djibouti on Sunday after Al-Shabaab militants launched a mortar attack targeting Aden Adde International Airport in Somalia’s capital.
Somali aviation sources told Kaab TV that the aircraft, which was carrying several Somali government officials—including the Mayor of Mogadishu—was rerouted for safety reasons and landed in Djibouti without incident.
The attack occurred around 6:05 a.m. local time, with at least six mortar rounds landing inside the airport compound.
READ MORE: Mortar Attacks Escalate Amid Rising Security Concerns at Mogadishu Airport
Several people were reportedly injured, prompting a brief closure of the airport.
The African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), whose headquarters is located inside the heavily fortified airport complex, confirmed the attack.
“There were no casualties or damage to property within the mission area, and the situation has since been contained,” AUSSOM said in a statement.
The airport zone houses critical diplomatic missions, including the United Nations, the British Embassy, and the U.S. Mission.
Despite AUSSOM’s reassurances, the frequency of mortar attacks in Mogadishu has risen sharply in recent weeks. Just a day earlier, six people were wounded when mortar rounds hit residential neighborhoods in the capital.
Security experts warn that the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab has been expanding its operations and infiltrating parts of the Somali security forces, with some militants believed to have secured positions within the government.
Analysts also point to a growing alliance between Al-Shabaab and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are reportedly supplying the Somali group with weapons and ammunition.
Over the past three years, Al-Shabaab has captured significant stockpiles of arms from Somali forces.
In March, they seized Turkish-supplied weapons following an attack on a military base in Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle region.
On March 18, a massive car bomb targeting a presidential convoy narrowly missed President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud but killed at least 20 people, including prominent Somali journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe, in Mogadishu.
As attacks on military and civilian targets intensify, the security situation in Somalia’s capital remains increasingly volatile.