A car bomb hits Somalia’s capital, killing one person and injuring several others. An intense explosion occurred yesterday morning after a car filled with explosives went off at the Ifka Halane intersection, targeting a Military Police checkpoint. The militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ifka Halane, Mogadishu, SOMALIA. By Jama:
The Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle was trying to force its way through the area, prompting fire from the security forces. The car then exploded. The blast was so enormous that it reportedly reached a civilian residential area, killing one person and injuring at least two others. Some media reported that the victim was a Banadir regional administration official, Harbi Salad Omar.
The police spokesperson said that a company in charge of the city’s garbage collection used the site. However, this statement is probably misleading. The Somali Digest reached out to residents living near the area of the incident, who told us that the Military Police have been using the facility. The garbage collection company was reportedly removed from the building. The government forces seem to be trying to conceal the real impact of the attack.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility
Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the assault. Their affiliated media stated that they had killed over 23 soldiers and injured many more. “The initial loss caused by the VBIED [vehicle-borne improvised explosive device] is 23 dead and many more wounded, including soldiers and officers of the Banadir [regional] government. The targeted camp was also completely destroyed. Many of the enemy’s vehicles and weapons stored in the camp burned down.” However, it should be noted that al-Shabaab often exaggerates its battlefield claims.
A surge in al-Shabaab’s attacks in Mogadishu
Al-Shabaab remains disturbingly unhindered in its endeavours within Somalia’s capital. As government forces focus on liberating Galmudug State, al-Shabaab encounters minimal resistance within Mogadishu’s confines. The militant group shelled Mogadishu airport on Saturday morning, causing injuries to at least two people. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack.
Although al-Shabaab has been driven out of major urban centres in Somalia, the group still wields influence and maintains control over vast rural areas. It continues to carry out attacks, ambushes, and assassinations against security forces and civilians, including within the capital city.
