(08-02-24) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) — A devastating bomb attack in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region resulted in at least five fatalities and 10 injuries on Wednesday, officials report. The attack, executed with an improvised explosive device (IED), targeted a security checkpoint in the town of Afgoye, approximately 30 kilometres southwest of the capital, Mogadishu.
Ibrahim Ali, a security official in the South West state, confirmed the attack’s toll, noting that both civilians and security personnel were among the wounded. The injured have been transported to hospitals and medical facilities in Mogadishu for urgent care.
No organisation has claimed responsibility for the bombing. This incident follows closely behind a claimed attack by al-Shabaab in Bosaso, a port city of Puntland state, which aimed at a high-ranking security official.
Somalia has been embroiled in a battle against insecurity, with al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups presenting significant threats. Al-Shabaab has been waging war against the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) since 2007, a mission endorsed by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.
The frequency of attacks by al-Shabaab has increased following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s announcement of an “all-out war” on the group after his re-election in 2022. This declaration marks a critical phase in Somalia’s long-standing fight against terrorism and insurgency.
Halqabsi News
