Mogadishu: The Somali army says it has prevented a suicide bombing targeting the General Tago Badhan Military Academy in the capital, Mogadishu, after guards shot dead an assailant attempting to enter the facility.

According to Qatar News Agency, a statement from the army’s General Command indicated that security personnel became suspicious of a man wearing an explosive vest as he approached the academy’s main gate. Guards opened fire, killing him before he could detonate the device. The explosives he was carrying later went off, causing minor injuries to several guards from flying shrapnel.

The army said the vigilance of the gate security team played a decisive role in averting an attack that could have caused significant casualties inside the military compound.

Somali forces will continue operations in Mogadishu and surrounding areas to track down individuals seeking to carry out acts of sabotage, the statement added.