Several security personnel sustained injuries when twin car bombings struck the central town of Dhusamareb in Somalia on Thursday.
Ibrahim Gedi, a security officer in the town of Adado in the central state of Galmudug, reported that one car exploded on the airport road, while the second car, laden with explosives, targeted a security checkpoint. He mentioned that security forces had received intelligence tips before the attacks and successfully thwarted them.
While it remains unclear what the terrorists’ specific target was, Gedi stated that the security forces effectively prevented any potential threat posed by the bombings. He noted that several security personnel who stopped the cars from entering the town sustained injuries that were deemed non-life-threatening, and they were promptly transported to the hospital for treatment.
Dhusamareb serves as the administrative capital of the central state of Galmudug and is home to Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who relocated from the capital, Mogadishu, to mobilise local forces and boost the morale of the armed forces in the frontline state.
The al-Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility for the twin explosions. Somalia has faced ongoing insecurity for years, with major threats originating from groups like al-Shabaab and ISIS/Daesh.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been engaged in conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council. The group has escalated its attacks since the Somali president, who secured a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” on al-Shabaab.
Somalia: Bomb Blast Claims Lives in Hiran Province, Second Attack in Less Than 12 Hours
At least six people lost their lives, and several others were wounded in a bomb blast in Somalia’s central state of Hirshabele, specifically in the Hiran province.
The attack involved a car bomb explosion near a busy market in Burloburte, located in the Hiran province. Among the casualties, two soldiers were killed, according to a police officer in Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabele.
The death toll is subject to change as more information becomes available. An eyewitness, Ali Ahmed, reported seeing four dead civilians, including two women. Additionally, residents stated that over 15 people were wounded, including both civilians and soldiers.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. This incident marks the second attack within less than 12 hours, following a double car bombing in the central state of Galmudug. The al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for the Galmudug attack, stating that it targeted the regional presidential palace that houses President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The group claimed to have killed 16 soldiers and wounded 14 others in that attack.
These attacks come just five days after a truck bomb in Beledweyne, within the same region, killed at least 18 individuals, including 10 security personnel, and wounded 40 others.
Somalia has grappled with insecurity for years, primarily from threats posed by groups like al-Shabaab and ISIS/Daesh.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been in conflict with the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council. The group has escalated its attacks since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who secured a second term last year, declared an “all-out war” against the terror group.