Somali forces fighting al Shabaab attack on high-security prison

MOGADISHU (Reuters) -Somali government forces were fighting on Saturday to repel al Shabaab militants who stormed a high-security underground prison in the capital Mogadishu, a witness and the government said.

Godka Jilaow, near the Villa Somalia presidential palace compound, houses several fighters from the al Shabaab group, which has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 and made significant advances in the countryside this year.

"We heard a huge blast at the cell gate and soon an exchange of gunfire started," a paramilitary soldier in the area who gave his name as Ahmed told Reuters. "More forces were deployed to eliminate the fighters. (The) operation (is) still ongoing."

AL SHABAAB CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

Residents near the area also confirmed the blast and exchange of gunfire.

Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

"We targeted the underground cell guarded by security forces. First it was started with a suicide car bomb and immediately infantry fighters went into the cell compound and they are fighting inside," the group said in a statement, adding there were casualties and injuries among soldiers.

In a statement on state television's Facebook account, the government said al Shabaab fighters used a car disguised as a vehicle from the security forces to blast their way in.

"Some of the fighters were shot dead. What's going on is the last operation to eliminate the fighters who attacked the place," the statement said.

(Reporting by Abdi SheikhEditing by Mark Potter)

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