A powerful explosion struck Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Tuesday, moments after a presidential convoy had passed through the area, according to security officials. The blast, which Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for, destroyed a building and damaged vehicles.
Government sources confirmed that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was en route to Hirshabelle state, where the Somali army is reportedly preparing for a major offensive against the militant group.
“The explosion went off along the road in Hamar-Jajab area, destroying a civilian-populated building,” a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Eyewitnesses reported the aftermath of the attack. “The convoy of the president passed… and we heard a very heavy explosion,” said Nurto Ali, who saw a man buried under rubble. Another witness, Farhan Abdullahi, noted that several passengers in a damaged vehicle sustained injuries.
Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh Ali, reassured the public that the president was unharmed, stating on X that “the nation cannot be intimidated.”
The attack follows a deadly assault by Al-Shabaab last week, in which militants stormed a hotel in central Somalia, killing nine people. The group, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for over 15 years, continues to carry out attacks despite being ousted from Mogadishu by African Union forces in 2011.
President Mohamud has vowed an all-out war against Al-Shabaab, with the Somali army, local militias, African Union forces, and US airstrikes forming a coalition to counter the group’s activities.
