At least 10 reported killed in suicide bomb blast in Somalia's Mogadishu
The attacker on Sunday targeted a queue of young recruits lining up outside Damanyo base, killing at least 10 people, Reuters news agency quoted witnesses as saying.
Teenagers were lining up at the base's gate when the suicide bomber detonated their explosives, they said.
Abdisalan Mohamed, said he had seen 'hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus'.
'Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties,' he added.
A military captain who gave his name as Suleiman described the attack as he had seen it unfold.
'I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise,' he told Reuters news agency.
Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber remain visible at the scene.
Medical staff at the military hospital told Reuters that they had received 30 wounded people from the blast and that six of them had died immediately.
Separately, an official told Anadolu the attack had killed at least 11 people.
The government has cordoned off the entire area.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the attack echoed a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the Jale Siyad base, located opposite the Damanyo facility.
Sunday's attack also follows the assassination on Saturday of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of battalion 26, in the Hiiran region, amid local reports of al-Shabab armed group's infiltration into government and security forces.
Al-Shabab has been fighting the Somali government for nearly two decades and frequently targets government officials and military personnel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
a minute ago
- Associated Press
Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize U.S. President Donald Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel, now the almost unchallenged military power in the Middle East. It is also a potential inroad to Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza's population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and South Sudan's foreign minister did not respond to questions about the talks. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said it doesn't comment on private diplomatic conversations. Egypt opposes proposals to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza Joe Szlavik, the founder of a U.S. lobbying firm working with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians there. No known date has been set for the visit. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visit. Szlavik said Israel would likely pay for makeshift camps. Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, said he had also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks. Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirmed talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told AP they've known for months about Israel's efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They said they've been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians. Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory. The AP previously reported on similar talks initiated by Israel and the U.S. with Sudan and Somalia, countries that are also grappling with war and hunger, and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland. The status of those discussions is not known. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally' Szlavik, who's been hired by South Sudan to improve its relations with the United States, said the U.S. is aware of the discussions with Israel but is not directly involved. South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, said Szlavik. It has already accepted eight individuals swept up in the administration's mass deportations, in what may have been an effort to curry favor. The Trump administration has pressured a number of countries to help facilitate deportations. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally, financial gain and diplomatic security it can get,' said Peter Martell, a journalist and author of a book about the country, 'First Raise a Flag.' Israel's Mossad spy agency provided aid to the South Sudanese during their decades-long civil war against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum ahead of independence in 2011, according to the book. The State Department, asked if there was any quid pro quo with South Sudan, said decisions on the issuing of visas are made 'in a way that prioritizes upholding the highest standards for U.S. national security, public safety, and the enforcement of our immigration laws.' From one hunger-stricken conflict zone to another Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine. But they have roundly rejected any permanent resettlement from what they see as an integral part of their national homeland. They fear that Israel will never allow them to return, and that a mass departure would allow it to annex Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there, as called for by far-right ministers in the Israeli government. Still, even those Palestinians who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world's most unstable and conflict-ridden countries. South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine. The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance. A peace deal reached seven years ago has been fragile and incomplete, and the threat of war returned when the main opposition leader was placed under house arrest this year. Palestinians in particular could find themselves unwelcome. The long war for independence from Sudan pitted the mostly Christian and animist south against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. Yakani, of the civil society group, said South Sudanese would need to know who is coming and how long they plan to stay, or there could be hostilities due to the 'historical issues with Muslims and Arabs.' 'South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,' he said. 'And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations.' ___ Associated Press reporters Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Matthew Lee in Washington, D.C. and Samy Magdy in Cairo, Egypt, contributed ___ Follow AP's war coverage at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israeli mistakenly enters Palestinian village in Area B, pelted with stones
After accidentally entering Kafr Mukhmas, the Israeli's vehicle was pelted with stones. They managed to quickly extricate themselves from the situation and locate security personnel. An Israeli citizen was attacked in Area B of the Binyamin region of the West Bank on Monday night, Army Radio reported. After accidentally entering Kafr Mukhmas, the Israeli's vehicle was pelted with stones. They managed to quickly extricate themselves from the situation and locate security personnel on the outskirts of the village. The Israeli was lightly wounded in the attack, while the vehicle was damaged. Security forces are working to identify and arrest those involved. Other stoning incidents in the West Bank In early July, the IDF was summoned to break up a violent incident where Palestinian terrorists threw stones at Jewish shepherds in the West Bank near Sinjil. Two Palestinians, one of whom was also an American citizen, were killed. This is a developing story. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
E-fits released after teenage cyclist hospitalised following attack on Bucks road
Two e-fits have been released after a teenage cyclist was hospitalised following an attack on a Bucks road. The man in his late teens was on a bicycle on VW Watling Street, Milton Keynes when a Ford Transit Connect van pulled close to him, police have said. It was reported that the passenger of the van tried to push the victim off his bike before the vehicle was stopped adjacent to Kiln Farm. The driver and passenger then got out and assaulted the victim. The teenager required hospital treatment but has since been discharged. An investigation is now underway following the incident on June 26 between 10am and 11am. The driver of the van has been described as a man aged between 30 and 40 and about 6ft 2 ins tall. He was wearing a black hooded top and black cargo trousers. The passenger is described as a white man with blonde hair, a beard, and a slim build who stood at around 5ft 8 ins tall. He was aged between 25 and 40 and wore a dark hooded top and dark jeans. Investigating officer, PC Reece Carroll, said: 'We are appealing for anyone who recognises the men in these e-fit's to come forward. 'Additionally if anyone has any further information and witnessed this incident we would also ask them to get in touch. 'Anyone with information should call 101 or make an online report, via our website, quoting 43250317989. 'Alternatively, for 100% anonymity, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'
