MOGADISHU, Somalia

A member of the United Nations Guard Unit was killed in a mortar attack in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday night, the UN mission in Somalia said Friday. 

In a statement, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) strongly condemned the mortar attack and the killing of its member of the Guard Unit.

“The UN Guard Unit plays an integral role in ensuring the safety and security of UN staff working in support of Somali peace- and state-building. We condemn this act of violence, and our thoughts are with the family and colleagues of the victim during this difficult time,” said the UN secretary-general's special representative for Somalia, Catriona Laing, in the statement.

It said several mortar rounds landed inside the Aden Adde International Airport area in Mogadishu, in which the UN compound is located.

“In addition to the death of a UN Guard Unit member, the mortar rounds damaged infrastructure,” the statement added.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The UN said those responsible for the attack should be brought to justice and affirmed that it remains committed to supporting the people and government of Somalia in its efforts to build peace and stability in the Horn of Africa nation.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

Since 2007, the al-Shabaab terror group has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council.