Suicide bombing at military recruitment center in Somalia, 13 killed

At least 13 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a military recruitment center in the Somali capital Mogadishu. The explosion occurred on Sunday (May 18) local time in the premises of the Damanyo military base. BBC reports.

The attackers carried out the attack while standing in a line of young soldiers waiting to be recruited outside the base. Witnesses said that the loud explosion instantly covered the area in smoke. Chaos ensued. At least 30 people were seriously injured in the incident. Six of them died instantly when they were taken to the hospital.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, it is believed that the Al-Shabaab armed group is behind it. Because the incident occurred shortly after the commander of Battalion 26, Colonel Abdirahman Hujale, was shot dead by rebels in the Hiran region on Saturday. Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for his killing.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government for nearly two decades and often targets government officials and military personnel.

Earlier, in 2023, a suicide bombing occurred at the Zale Siyad base in Mogadishu. In that incident, a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers.