Suicide bomber kills at least 10 at Mogadishu army recruitment base
Witnesses said teenagers were standing in line at the gate when the attacker detonated explosives, causing chaos and death.
At least 10 people died Sunday when a suicide bomber targeted young recruits waiting to register at the Damanyo military base in Mogadishu.
Witnesses said teenagers were standing in line at the gate when the attacker detonated explosives, causing chaos and death.
A military captain named Suleiman described what he saw.
"I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise," said Suleiman.
The scene showed dozens of abandoned shoes and parts of the bomber’s remains.
Another witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he saw "hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus."
He added, "Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties."
Medical staff at the military hospital confirmed they had treated 30 injured people, six of whom died immediately after the blast. Government forces quickly sealed off the area to secure the scene.
The militant group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it killed as many as 30 soldiers and wounded 50 more.
Government officials were not immediately available to comment.
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has been fighting the Somali army since 2007, trying to control central parts of the country.
This attack is similar to one in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the Jale Siyad base, near Damanyo.
The attack happened a day after Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of battalion 26, was killed in the Hiiran region, amid reports that al Shabaab militants have been infiltrating government and security forces.
