Al-Shabaab claims responsibility as 15 die in army recruitment base in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the military recruitment base in Mogadishu, Sunday, in one of the deadliest attacks targeting hundreds of young men intending to join the armed forces in Somalia.

Struggling with an insufficient number of troops on the frontlines, the government of Somalia had started a recruitment process in Mogadishu, targeting young and energetic men, with the Somali National Army racing against time to assume security responsibilities.

According to reports, a suicide bomber detonated explosives, killing at least 15 people, with 20 more were critically injured. The injured people are receiving medical treatment in various hospitals within Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The attack occurred as dozens of youths lined up voluntarily to join the army in the Damaanyo barracks, southwest of Mogadishu. Through one of the radio stations affiliated with its activities, the Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

Previously, the militants have used similar tactics to paralyse national events, including an attack against the Turkish military training school in Somalia, where the elite Gorgor troops are prepared. The militants usually try to upset the recruitment policy of the SNA.

The government has deployed several soldiers in various frontlines to fight the militants, but the group has recently made inroads, including the seizure of the strategic Adan Yabaal town within the central regions. The group is also believed to have infiltrated the Somali National Army.

Sunday's attack also comes amid reports of a possible withdrawal of the United States from funding the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which could significantly affect the peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

The government of Somalia, however, remains optimistic that in the near future, the Al-Shabaab group will lose its influence in the country. The US Africa Command and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia are all critical pillars of the ongoing operations.

GAROWE ONLINE