MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Four Al-Shabaab gunmen who killed over 17 people including a controversial cleric and his followers spent the night before in a house in Galkayo town, Galudug authorities confirmed.
This revelation and other details emerging about how the heavily armed attackers managed to make their way into the compound of Sheikh Abdiweli Sheikh Elmi come amid security operations are underway in Galkayo town.
In a statement, Galmudug state police said the attackers had been using a house in Gakayo town until the day of the attack.
The police did not display the identity of the assailants.
On Monday, Al-Shabaab gunmen and a suicide bomber struck the religious centre of Sheikh Abdiweli, killing the cleric and 16 of followers.
The group had accused the cleric of insulting Prophet Mohamed, which he denied.
The group took responsibility for the attack and put the number of dead at 26.
It said some soldiers who responded to the first attack also died as they tried to remove a second car bomb.
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