Reports confirmed that heavy expolsion has killed three civilians in central Somali town of Beledweyne of Hiran Region in HirShabelle regional government and injured four others. The explosion said targeted a cafe in Buundoweyn Neighbourhoods near Isbartiibada Junction.
Witnesses said the explosion occurred late in the morning as civilians were seated inside. Among the dead was a woman, while those wounded were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Security officials said no soldiers were at the café when the device detonated, suggesting the bomb may have been planted earlier. The attack bore the hallmarks of Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaida–linked group that has claimed responsibility for similar bombings targeting military and civilian sites across central Somalia.
Authorities in Beledweyne have yet to issue a statement or announce any arrests. The city, a key commercial and administrative hub along the Shabelle River, has endured repeated attacks by insurgents despite ongoing military operations to reclaim territory and weaken Al-Shabaab’s network. The Somali government, backed by clan militias and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has intensified counterinsurgency campaigns across the Hiiraan region.
