Somalia: Soldiers die in Mogadishu explosion

There were conflicting reports about the number of casualties from a car bomb explosion in Mogadishu [Feisal Omar/Reuters]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Two soldiers were killed on Saturday in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, authorities reported, following an explosion within the city, which also left three people severely injured, and have since been rushed to various hospitals for treatment.

According to reports, the explosion took place in the Waharadde neighborhood in the Heliwa District of Mogadishu on Saturday. This is the first time in as many months an explosion has been reported in the outskirts of Mogadishu, which has been relatively peaceful.

According to reports, the deceased soldiers were working with the Criminal Investigation Department, the undercover police which acts as crime busters in the capital. The bodies of the deceased soldiers were taken to CID headquarters for processing, authorities said.

The wounded, police said, were taken to Madina Hospital in Mogadishu where they are undergoing treatment. Although no group has taken responsibility for the cowardly attacks, the Al-Shabaab militants are known for such crimes across the Horn of Africa nation.

Mogadishu has been experiencing relative stability for months due to presence of the specially trained soldiers from the Somali National Army and those from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS]. Al-Shabaab has a very minimal presence in the city according to the records available.

While the group has been fighting to topple the fragile UN-backed federal government of Somalia, there has been no major progress they have made due to a strong military presence in different parts of the country. Al-Shabaab militants have also lost some strategic towns across Somalia.

Presently, the federal government of Somalia is plotting a major assault on the militants in Jubaland and Southwest states, but the military is still participating in stabilization missions within the Galmadug and HirShabelle states. Only Puntland and Somaliland have managed somehow to effectively tackle Al-Shabaab.

GAROWE ONLINE