Somalia: Al-Shabaab deploys foreign fighters in Mogadishu prison attack, video shows
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Shabaab used foreign fighters from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia’s Oromia region in its October 2025 attack on Godka Jilicow, a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) prison in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, according to a video released recently. The group said 42 security personnel were killed and prisoners held in the underground facility […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Shabaab used foreign fighters from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia’s Oromia region in its October 2025 attack on Godka Jilicow, a National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) prison in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, according to a video released recently. The group said 42 security personnel were killed and prisoners held in the underground facility were freed.
The video, produced by Al-Shabaab’s media arm, Al-Kataib Foundation, shows attackers entering Mogadishu in a military-style vehicle painted to look like those used by NISA, allowing them to pass several security checkpoints. Footage from CCTV and dashcams shows the vehicle stopping at the compound gates, the attackers getting out, and an explosion breaching the perimeter. A firefight followed and lasted multiple hours before the attackers were reportedly killed.
Analysts say the video reflects a pattern in Al-Shabaab’s approach: using polished media and complex attacks to pressure the Somali government, draw in recruits, and spread its message. The video was released in Somali, Arabic, and Swahili.
Attacks like the one on Godka Jilicow are typical of Al-Shabaab’s operations. They involve careful planning, intelligence gathering, and coordinated execution. The group often targets sites with symbolic or strategic importance or where casualties among government forces are likely to be high. These include government buildings, hotels used by senior officials or intelligence personnel, police stations, and military bases such as the Halane complex in Mogadishu.
The aim is often to expose gaps in security, prolong clashes with security forces, and increase casualties. After such attacks, the terror group regularly issues statements claiming responsibility, often with accompanying video or images.
The video also points to a shift in recruitment. Al-Shabaab has long relied on Somali fighters for operations in Mogadishu, but this attack marks the first documented case of foreign nationals being used in a complex operation in the city. Similar tactics were seen in earlier attacks outside Somalia, including the 2020 assault on Manda Bay, Kenya, which involved fighters from several East African countries.
One of the attackers, identified as Abdirahman, is the son of Ali Mohamud Raage, also known as Ali Dheere, Al-Shabaab’s longtime spokesperson. The move contrasts with long-standing accusations that the group’s leaders send other people’s children to fight while protecting their own families. Raage’s decision to send his son on what the group calls a “martyrdom operation” – a mission intended to end in death – presents a strong message of commitment to the group’s ideology.
The development comes amid broader criticism in Somalia of political leaders accused of fueling conflict while their families live abroad in relative safety, including in Kenya, the Middle East, and Western countries. Nepotism – the practice of giving jobs or positions to relatives – is widespread in government and the private sector. Some leaders, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, have defended such practices, drawing public criticism. Raage’s decision may deepen debate over the government’s credibility and the motives of its leaders.
The video also raises questions about the chances for near-term talks with Al-Shabaab. Analysts say a leader who has publicly sent his own son to his death is unlikely to compromise.
The release highlights Al-Shabaab’s continued commitment to its ideology and its stated goal of overthrowing the Somali government and imposing Islamic Shari’ah law, suggesting the conflict is likely to continue.
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