Somalia, Mogadishu: – The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing at a military recruitment center in Mogadishu has risen to at least 20, with 15 others wounded, Somali authorities confirmed on Monday. The militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
The explosion occurred at approximately 9:20 a.m. outside the gates of the Damaanyo military base in the capital’s Hodan district. At the time, hundreds of young men had gathered in hopes of joining the Somali National Army. According to security officials, the bomber was intercepted near the entrance but managed to detonate explosives before reaching the main crowd.
Among the dead were 15 army recruits and five civilians who were passing near the scene. Medical staff at nearby military hospitals reported that several of the wounded remain in critical condition, warning that the death toll could increase further.
“Security agencies are working to assess the full extent of the damage,” Somalia’s Ministry of Information said in a statement, urging the public to rely on official updates.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror and confusion. One survivor recounted that the attacker, appearing to be a young man, briefly mingled with the crowd before detonating the bomb. “He seemed off, but no one had time to act,” the recruit told local media.
A military officer who identified himself as Captain Suleiman said he witnessed the attacker exit a speeding tuk-tuk and run into the crowd before triggering the explosion. “I saw at least 10 people die instantly, including both recruits and civilians,” he said.
The attack bears a striking resemblance to a 2023 suicide bombing at the nearby Jale Siyad military base—located just across the street from Damaanyo—which killed 25 soldiers. The repetition of such attacks has raised serious concerns over lingering security vulnerabilities around military installations in the capital.
Sunday’s bombing came just one day after the assassination of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, the commander of Battalion 26, in the central Hiiraan region. His killing, widely attributed to al-Shabab, has further stoked fears of the group’s infiltration into Somalia’s security forces.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-affiliated militant group, has been waging an insurgency against the Somali federal government for over 16 years. The group frequently targets recruitment drives, military personnel, and government institutions in a bid to undermine the country’s efforts to rebuild its security infrastructure.
