Two explosions leave five people dead, 7 wounded in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 5 people died on Saturday following twin explosions in Somalia, officials said, in what seems to be intensified operations against security forces and civilians by Al-Qaeda linked, the Al-Shabaab group, which is associated to such attacks.

The first explosion happened in Mogadishu's Jajab district on Saturday morning, wounding seven people, including soldiers, in yet another attack targeting the city, which was secured from the militants almost a decade ago. The town is manned by a contingent of SNA and AMISOM troops.

According to the eyewitness, a suspected car bomb exploded near Mogadishu's revenue authority headquarters which is located opposite the seaport. According to reports, the vehicle forcefully passed through a checkpoint, forcing security officials to fire shots before it exploded.

The car came from the direction Elgab, sped through the checkpoint as it tried to reach the 3-story building which plays home to the revenue collection center to the war-torn nation. Had the bomber reached his target, authorities said, the impact would have been devastating.

It did not directly hit the building but a few security officers and civilians were injured during the melee. Those injured were rushed to Madina Hospital in Mogadishu for treatment, with Aamin Ambulance saying that at least seven people were injured. Only the bomber lost his life in the attack.

The second attack was reported in Baidoa city, where five people were killed. The city serves as the interim administrative capital of Southwest. The remote-controlled IED targeted a tax collection center in South of the town, off the road to Bardhere, officials said.

Among those injured were innocent civilians who were going about their daily routines, with reports also indicating that officials manning the center were also critically injured, and have since been rushed to a hospital for advanced treatment.

Although no group is yet to claim responsibility, the Somalia-based militants, Al-Shabaab, have often targeted security forces and government officials in such checkpoints using IEDs and VBIEDs, with Southwest being one of the most hit states in Somalia.

The militants have been subjected to an endless crackdown by Somali National Army [SNA] and AMISOM troops within Lower Shebelle, and have lost large swathes since the beginning of the year. The attack could have been a retaliation against security forces.

On Thursday, Mohamed Abukar Mohamed, a finance controller for Al-Shabaab in Lower Shebelle within Southwest, surrendered to government forces in what is seen as one of the biggest success for security forces in the region.

The militant had been on the radar after it emerged that he was also responsible for the collection of intelligence and coordinating attacks against security forces in Somalia. He's now under government custody and will undergo mandatory counseling before repatriation.

A fortnight ago, a suicide bomber also attempted to attack the Turkish-run military base in Mogadishu in an attack that left one civilian dead. The Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack against an overseas military station in Somalia.

Last year, the militants also used a car bomb within Mogadishu to target a Turkish convoy, leaving over 90 people dead. It was the worst attack in the Horn of Africa nation since 2017 and raised concerns about the country's preparedness in the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Since 2008, the group has left close to 5,000 civilians dead, and have vowed to topple the fragile UN-backed Somalia government. But in recent months, the group has been losing strategic towns to security forces, with State Department acknowledging that Al-Shabaab militants have been significantly degraded.

GAROWE ONLINE