A suicide bomber detonated explosives at a military base in Mogadishu’s Damanyo district on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more. Witnesses reported the attack targeted a crowd of teenagers waiting to register for military recruitment. Captain Suleiman, a military official, stated the assailant arrived in a tuk-tuk before sprinting toward the gathering and triggering the blast.
Abdisalam Mohamed, a survivor near the site, described scenes of chaos: “There were hundreds of teenagers here before smoke engulfed everything.” Medical staff at a nearby military hospital confirmed six fatalities on arrival and at least 30 injuries, warning the death toll could rise. Security forces sealed off the area, where remnants of the bomber and scattered personal belongings littered the ground.
Context of Escalating Insurgency
The bombing echoes a 2023 assault on Mogadishu’s Jale Siyad military base, which killed 25 soldiers. It also follows Saturday’s assassination of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, a battalion commander in Hiiran region, amid reports of al-Shabaab infiltrators within Somali security forces. While the Islamist militant group frequently targets government and military sites, no faction has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
Unanswered Questions Amid Rising Tensions
Authorities have not disclosed potential motives or identified the bomber’s affiliations. Analysts note the strike underscores persistent vulnerabilities in Somalia’s security infrastructure, despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts backed by international partners. Al-Shabaab, which controls swaths of rural territory, has intensified attacks in urban centers this year, exploiting political divisions and logistical gaps.
The government has yet to issue a formal statement, but the attack has reignited calls for enhanced vetting of security personnel and stricter safeguards at recruitment sites. Survivors and families of victims demanded accountability, with one relative stating, “Our children went to serve their country—they did not deserve this betrayal.”