Somalia: Al-Shabaab targets president's convoy in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In what could raise concerns about the security of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Al-Shabaab militants reportedly targeted his convoy in the outskirts of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, just as he headed to the frontlines to assess the gains made by the troops in pursuing the group.

The explosion, sources said, was the result of a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Ceelgaab vicinity of Mogadishu. Casualties have been reported according to the source, even as the president’s convoy proceeded with the journey.

The IED was planted close to a building on the side of the road, which has been damaged by the explosion, security sources said, while condemning the latest cowardly attack which comes in the middle of the crackdown against al-Shabaab in central and southern regions.

A new footage shows a bomb targeting the Somali president's convoy at El-Gabta junction in the capital on Tuesday morning, killing at least 1 and wounding 3 others. It is not the first time the militants are targeting senior government officials.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a bomb attack targeting a convoy of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as it left the presidential palace and passed through the El-Gabta intersection, heading toward the Mogadishu airport.

Details of the incident remain unclear, but sources report that the attack was unsuccessful in hitting the President’s convoy. Security forces responded swiftly, securing the area. However, Hassan Sheikh has since arrived in Aden Yabal where he is set to meet troops on the frontlines, state media reports.

Without mentioning the explosion, National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali posted on X social media platform that the president is safe and is on a trip to assess Somali army operations in the region.

“Desperation and propagating lies cannot intimidate the nation,” he said.

For the last two weeks, security forces have intensified the crackdown against the Al-Shabaab militants, killing dozens in the process. The US Africa Command and the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have been supportive of this mission.

The government of Somalia has activated the operation against the group in the last two months after several months of stagnation, with critics accusing him of doing 'too little' to eliminate the militants. The operations are going on in central and southern regions.

GAROWE ONLINE