By Ebi Kesiena
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud emerged unharmed after his convoy was targeted by a roadside bomb near the presidential compound in Mogadishu late Tuesday.
The attack, claimed by the militant group al-Shabaab, left several people wounded in what appeared to be a failed assassination attempt.
The explosion occurred shortly after President Mohamud’s motorcade departed for the airport, where he was en route to oversee military operations against al-Shabaab in the Middle Shabelle region. While the Somali Information Ministry did not confirm any fatalities, witnesses reported at least three bodies at the scene.
Al-Shabaab, which has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006, has carried out numerous attacks in and around the capital. The group has increasingly targeted government officials and security forces amid ongoing military operations aimed at weakening its presence.
Despite the attack, President Mohamud continued with his planned visit to the front lines, meeting military commanders and regional leaders in the Mogokori district of Hirshabelle. The Somali government, backed by African Union peacekeepers and US airstrikes, has recently intensified efforts to reclaim territory from the militants.
The attack has drawn strong condemnation from Somalia’s international partners, including the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which described the bombing as a “cowardly and desperate act.”
Authorities have vowed to hold those responsible accountable as security operations against al-Shabaab continue.
