Top army commanders killed in Somalia explosion

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Two high-ranking Somali military officials and their bodyguards were killed in an explosion on the outskirts of Mogadishu on Tuesday, Garowe Online reports.

Colonel Abdisalan Sheikh Aden Kurjow, the commander of the 12th battalion of Somali National Army [SNA] and Colonel Abdirahman Jimale Muse died in a landmine blast at Dhanane, south of the capital.

Muse was in charge of the finances of the 1st battalion of SNA, sources within Somali military confirmed to Garowe Online.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group, Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, marking the second killing of senior SNA officials in the same area in Lower Shabelle in two months.

Graphic pictures of the scene in the aftermath showed burning vehicle and debris scattered over a wide area that witnessed several bomb attacks on security forces and army personnel in the past few months.

Tuesday's explosion occurred along the seaside road linking the capital to the port city of Merca.

Last December, the commander of the 12 April Battalion and his deputy, General Omar Aden, known as [Omar Dhere] and General Abdi Ali Jamame respectively were killed in IED hit their car in the same site.

On Monday, 4th February was another deadly day for the Horn of Africa nation as two gunmen shot Maltese national Paul Anthony Formosa, manager of the port of Bosaso in Puntland state for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World.

At least ten persons died and scores sustained a variety of wounds in the huge car bombing which happened in old Hamarweyne district, near Mogadishu Mall on Monday morning.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for both attacks.

The group which was chased out of Mogadishu and large swathes of the countryside by SNA backed by 22,000-strong AU soldiers since 2011, still remains a key threat to peace in Somalia and the region, with the capacity to stage significant attacks.

On 14th October 2017, a truck bombing in Zoobe, a busy junction in Mogadishu killed over 500 people in the deadliest single attack in Somalia's history.

GAROWE ONLINE