Suicide bombardment murders 10 in Somalia

(MENAFN) A suicide bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 10 people outside a military base. The attacker targeted a group of teenage recruits waiting to enlist at the Damanyo military facility. Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with scattered shoes and the remains of the bomber after the explosion. A military officer named Suleiman recounted seeing the attacker exit a speeding tuk-tuk, run into the line of recruits, and detonate the explosives. "I saw 10 dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise," he told Reuters.

Medical staff at a nearby hospital confirmed that 30 people were admitted with injuries, with six dying shortly after arrival. Emergency responders quickly cordoned off the area as investigators arrived to examine the scene.

Al-Shabaab issued a statement claiming they had killed 30 soldiers and wounded 50 others. The group, which is linked to Al-Qaeda, has been waging an insurgency in Somalia since 2007. The government has not yet issued a public response to the bombing. The attack mirrors a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at a base near Damanyo.

This attack occurred just one day after the assassination of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, the commander of Battalion 26, in Somalia's Hiiran region. The incident is part of growing concerns over the infiltration of government and security forces by Al-Shabaab members. Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, particularly Al-Shabaab, continue to carry out attacks across several African countries, including Somalia, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

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