Abdullahi
Abdi, a police officer based at the port, said the driver of a petrol tanker
was forced by a gunman to speed through a checkpoint at the port’s entrance and
government troops opened fire.
He said
the security forces blew out the tanker’s tyres before arresting the wounded
driver and the gunman who was found with explosives in a black bag.
“This was
a clear potential suicide attack. He wanted to ram the tanker into the seaport
and blow his explosives, Abdi told Reuters. A porter at the port confirmed the
incident.
The
petrol truck was reported to be empty at the time of the attack.
Police
said the driver told them his truck was hijacked as he drove towards the port,
a crucial entry point for food and fuel into Somalia.
On
Thursday, Al-Shabab rebels killed two African Union peacekeepers and at least
three civilians outside the city’s airport in a suicide attack, amid government
warnings the militants could launch a spectacular attack to mark the end of the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The
rebels have used suicide bombers to devastating effect over the past two years,
killing five government ministers and dozens of AU peacekeeping troops.
Al-Shabab
was also behind attacks in Uganda in July that killed at least 79 people.
About
7,200 AU peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi are deployed in Mogadishu and
focus on guarding the airport and seaport and shielding President Sheikh Sharif
Ahmed from the militants. Ahmed from the militants.
