Fifteen killed in Mogadishu, Somalia suicide bombing

Friday, June 18, 2021

At least fifteen were reported killed on Tuesday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia after a suicide bombing, claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab, at a checkpoint outside General Dhegobadan Military Camp.

Army officer Mohamed Adan told Al Jazeera the perpetrator was disguised among army recruits, and put the death toll at "about 15" but suggested it could be higher. A Reuters witness also suggested the number at 15; army chief Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, the target of a 2020 assassination attempt by Al-Shabaab, initially told state media at least ten had been killed and twenty others wounded.

According to Reuters, dozens were present outside Madina Hospital, where the wounded have been taken.

According to multiple reports, this attack is the deadliest in the Somalian capital since a December 2019 truck bombing. That attack killed 85 outside Mogadishu also claimed by Al-Shabaab and resulted in retaliatory air strikes by the Somali government and the United States Africa Command, according to CNN.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack from their radio Al Andalus. The Islamic fundamentalist group, which seeks to overthrow the Somali government, frequently attacks soldiers, military facilities, hotels and security checkpoints, wrote Agence France-Presse. Its position has weakened after a string of defeats: as reported by Garowe Online, six villages used to recruit youths and manufacture explosives were captured by Rageh in recent weeks, with the media estimating 600 militants have been killed this month alone.

Back in November, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2551 condemned attacks by Al-Shabaab and introduced a ban on the sale, supply or transfer of improved explosive devices components to Somalia due to its frequent use by the group. The UNSC also introduced sanctions on February 26 on three senior Al-Shabaab members, including Maalim Ayman, the founder and leader of Jaysh Ayman, an Al-Shabaab unit active in Kenya and Somalia.

Have an opinion on this story? Share it!

Sources

Maggie Fick, Catherine Evans. "At least 15 killed in Somalia suicide bombing claimed by militants" — Reuters, June 15, 2021
"Somalia’s army camp rocked by deadly suicide attack" — Al Jazeera, June 15, 2021
Agence France-Presse. "Suicide bombing at Somalia army camp leaves 15 dead: Officer" — Al Arabiya, June 15, 2021
"Al-Shabaab suffers multiple defeats in Somalia; loses more ground" — Garowe Online, June 15, 2021
"Security Council Sanctions Committee concerning Somalia Adds Three Entries to Its Sanctions List" — United Nations Security Council, February 26, 2021
"Resolution 2551 (2020)" — United Nations Security Council, November 12, 2020
Associated Press. "Somalia's army chief survives bombing of his convoy; 1 dead" — ABC News, July 13, 2020
Omar Nor, Maija-Liisa Ehlinger, Bukola Adebayo. "Al Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for Somalia truck bombing that killed 85" — CNN, December 31, 2019

Share this:

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

The text of this article is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License