Mogadishu (AX) – In Mogadishu, officers nabbed nine soldiers popping off celebratory gunfire during the Independence Day festivities on Tuesday night.
According to the Banadir Regional Police Command, these troops flouted an order prohibiting the firing of live rounds by anyone, including military personnel, during Independence Week celebrations.
“We’re digging into this case of reckless shooting, with injuries already reported,” said the Banadir police in a bite-sized statement on Wednesday. “Security forces are also tracking down other soldiers and their kin linked to the incident.”
The start of Somalia’s Independence Week kicked off with a vibrant event on Tuesday night. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and dignitaries, alongside throngs of citizens, hoisted the national flag in Mogadishu.
Somalia’s southern regions shook off Italian rule in 1960 after a long struggle. On June 26, 1960, the northern territories, now known as North Western of Somalia, gained freedom from British control. Just four days later, on July 1, they joined the South to birth the Republic of Somalia.
