Home News Roadside Bomb Kills Six Soldiers in Somalia
News

Roadside Bomb Kills Six Soldiers in Somalia

386

According to police and local officials on Saturday, a roadside bomb set by the jihadist group Al-Shabaab killed at least six soldiers, including a senior military commander, in southern Somalia.

The explosion occurred during a routine military operation near Gofgadud town, about 30 kilometres from Baidoa.

Six soldiers, including Colonel Mohamed Dheere, died immediately, Hassan Mohamed, a military officer in Baidoa, told AFP by phone.

Several others were injured, though the exact number was not specified.

Al-Shabaab, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Bombings and other assaults are common in Mogadishu and Baidoa, though there have been fewer recently.

Last week, the Somali government reported that five soldiers died in a battle where they killed nearly 50 fighters in Ceeldheer, north of Mogadishu.

Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, the president of the Southwest state, expressed condolences to the soldiers’ families and praised Dheere’s significant role in fighting Al-Shabaab.

Dheere “played an important role in ensuring the country’s security,” Mohamed said, noting he will be “remembered” for his efforts against the Islamist group.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting against Somalia’s central government for over 16 years. Though they were ousted from the capital by an African Union force in 2011, they remain strong in rural areas. They have repeatedly attacked political, security, and civilian targets in Somalia and neighbouring countries like Kenya.

Somalia’s federal government has allied with local clan militias against the Islamists, reclaiming large areas in central Somalia with the support of the AU mission ATMIS and US airstrikes. However, the offensive has faced challenges, with Al-Shabaab claiming earlier this year to have seized multiple locations in central Somalia.

Read more: Kidnappers Abduct Fouani Co. MD, Three Lebanese Traveling By Boat

About The Author

Related Articles

FinanceNews

Stephen Akintayo Advertises $18,000 Mentorship Programme Amid Multiple Fraud Allegations

Nigerian entrepreneur Dr. Stephen Akintayo has been criticised after launching a high-priced...

Nigeria's Inflation is Not Looking Good, NBS 2024 Report Shows
FoodNews

SBM Survey Shows Worsening Food Insecurity in Nigeria and Ghana

A recent report by SBM Intelligence has shown that food insecurity is...

NewsTravel

NiMet Workers Protest Unmet Demands, Warn Nigerians: “Fly at Your Own Risk”

Operations at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) headquarters in Abuja were shut...

BusinessNews

Niger, UAE Firm Sign Deal to Establish Gold Refinery – Mines Minister Vows Local Processing to Benefit Citizens

Niger has signed a joint venture agreement with the Emirati company Suvarna...