MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Tuesday after a roadside bomb targeted his convoy near his residence in Mogadishu. The attack occurred as the president was en route to the airport, preparing to travel to the frontline town of Adan Yabal in the Middle Shabelle region.
According to the Somali Ministry of Information, the explosion was “thwarted” but resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians. The president, unharmed, continued his journey to the frontline. The ministry did not provide an immediate death toll, but reports suggest at least 10 fatalities, including seven presidential guards who were part of his convoy. Several others were wounded. The blast also caused extensive damage to a roadside building and left one of the convoy’s bulletproof vehicles severely damaged.
The attack took place at the El Gaabta checkpoint, part of the security perimeter surrounding the presidential complex in Mogadishu. The bomb struck a vehicle near the president’s, narrowly missing him. Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group waging an insurgency against the Somali government, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The assault comes as the government ramps up efforts to thwart a fast-moving offensive by Al-Shabaab in the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions, which lie on the doorstep of the capital. Al-Shabaab also ambushed security forces early on Tuesday along the road between Mogadishu and Bal’ad, and attacked army bases manned by Turkish-trained Somali special forces near Masajid Ali Gadud town in Middle Shabelle. The group claimed to have killed at least 30 soldiers.
On Monday, Al-Shabaab displayed a large cache of weapons seized from its recent attack on the town of Awdhegle in Lower Shabelle , which remains under the group’s control despite heavy airstrikes aimed at forcing its withdrawal.
Despite the attack, President Mohamud arrived safely in Adan Yabal, where militants are encroaching on the town’s outskirts. There, he met with military commanders to rally the troops defending the town. During his visit, Al-Shabaab reportedly launched mortar shells at the town, though the exact number of casualties remains unclear.
In a related development, Somali Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur confirmed that Turkey had delivered its most advanced drones, the Akinci, to Mogadishu in an effort to combat the rapidly advancing Al-Shabaab forces. However, the effectiveness of the drones remains uncertain. Turkish and U.S. drones, alongside Ethiopian fighter jets, have conducted numerous airstrikes against the militants in recent weeks, but the insurgents continue to make territorial gains.
The Somali government’s struggle to stem the Al-Shabaab insurgency, despite foreign military support, underscores the complexity and intensity of the ongoing conflict.
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