By Dalmar:
Mogadishu, Somalia –
Yesterday evening around 5:00 pm, a suicide bomber detonated himself killing at least two military officials and injuring numerous others right next to the Ministry of Defence. Other explosions occurred a day earlier. Despite the federal government’s safety reassurances, Somalia’s capital increasingly becomes a playground for al-Shabaab’s destructive operations, and attacks occur almost daily.
Among the deceased of yesterday’s attack were a former deputy governor of the Lower Shabelle region, Abdikarin Moalim Ahmed (also known as Afarsheegle), and another military officer.
The attack took place opposite the Ministry of Defense building in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, where the officers would frequently gather in the afternoon.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the targeted officers “had been pursued by their Mujahideen forces for some time,” citing their involvement in various ongoing and past military operations across different regions of the country.
A spate of bombings in Mogadishu
Moreover, two additional explosions occurred Thursday night in Mogadishu’s Hamar Jajab and Waberi districts. In those, no casualties were reported.
On Wednesday, an IED attack targeted the car of Moalim Adan, the commander of the Banaadir’s Eastern Division of the Somali Police Force (SPF). The attack resulted in the death of one police officer and injuries to three others.
Also on Wednesday, another attack targeted a Somali National Army (SNA) vehicle on its way to Mogadishu. The incident occurred in Sinka Dheer, a village located on the outskirts of Mogadishu in the direction of Afgooye.
The list of al-Shabaab’s strikes in the capital keeps going, with different types of attacks happening in Mogadishu almost daily. This fact alone is highly concerning. However, it is perhaps even more alarming how the Somali government communicates it.
Clueless FGS misleading the public
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), Hamza Abdi Barre, addressed an event in the Yaqshid district of Mogadishu. His speech bragged about improved security of the country and the capital: “The fact that we are in Yaqshid district … reflects the change in the security of the capital. We are on the way to victory, especially the people of Mogadishu.”
While the PM talked big about the need to “remove the fear [of terrorists] from our hearts,” al-Shabaab was planning and executing more deadly attacks in the capital.
On July 2, the Yaqshid district itself became a target when an IED allegedly planted by al-Shabaab claimed the lives of four officers and injured several others.
In the same speech, the Prime Minister also called for cooperation to end other conflicts in the country, specifically mentioning Las Anod, among other regions. Yet, it was his government that had been accused of providing support to Somaliland in its shelling of Las Anod and obstructing international pressure to address the conflict.
