At least six soldiers, including a senior military commander, were killed by a roadside bomb planted by the jihadist group Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. The incident occurred during a routine military operation near Gofgadud town, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Baidoa, as revealed by police and local officials over the weekend.
One of the military officers in Baidoa, Hassan Mohamed, informed AFP via phone that “Six army members, including Colonel Mohamed Dheere, lost their lives in the explosion.” He also mentioned that several individuals sustained injuries, although no specific number was provided.
The militant group Al-Shabaab, linked to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. Although bombings and attacks are common in Mogadishu and Baidoa, there have been fewer incidents in recent months.
In a separate skirmish last week, the Somali government reported the loss of five soldiers in a confrontation where they managed to eliminate nearly 50 combatants in Ceeldheer, located to the north of Mogadishu.
The president of the Southwest state, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, extended condolences to the soldiers’ families and commended Dheere for his significant role in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Mohamed expressed, “Dheere played a crucial role in safeguarding the nation’s security and will be remembered for his efforts that countered the Islamist group.”
For over 16 years, Al-Shabaab has been engaging in a deadly insurgency against the vulnerable central government in Mogadishu. Despite being expelled from the capital in 2011 by an African Union force, the group retains a formidable presence in rural Somalia, carrying out frequent assaults on political, security, and civilian targets, not only within Somalia but also in neighboring nations like Kenya.
To combat the threat posed by Al-Shabaab, Somalia’s federal government has collaborated with local clan militia, reclaiming territories in central Somalia with the support of an AU mission known as ATMIS and US airstrikes. However, the military campaign has encountered challenges, with Al-Shabaab asserting earlier this year that it had seized control of multiple locations in the country’s interior.
AFP