Saturday November 5, 2022
Mogadishu (HOL) - A suspected al-Shabaab suicide bombing attack killed close to a dozen people near the General Dhagabadan military training center in Mogadishu's Wadajir District late Saturday evening, according to residents and first responders.
Initial reports indicate that several people were killed in the blast, with at least a dozen more sent to local area hospitals with serious injuries.
Somalia's state-owned news agency confirmed that five people have been killed and eleven wounded in the attack, although one witness HOL spoke with estimated that he saw at least a dozen "lifeless bodies".
The al-Shabaab suicide bomber is believed to have detonated his device at the base's front gates.
Nearby residents reported hearing several small explosions in rapid succession and believed it may have been grenades or mortars.
Somali National News Agency said civilians were reported to be among the dead.
"Innocent civilians were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near Mogadishu's Candy Army Base, a cowardly act by Al Shabab Khawarij after military failures on the battlefield."/General Dhagabadan military training camp is housed in what used to be a candy factory
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging to have killed 105 recruits. The militant insurgency group routinely inflates casualty figures for propaganda purposes.
The attack comes a week after al Shabab targeted Somalia's Ministry of Education office with two large car bombs, levelling the building and killing at least 120 people.
Al-Shabaab fighters have launched previous attacks at the military training facility.
Late last month, a suicide bomber disguised himself as a regular soldier and joined others as they lined up to enter the camp before detonating his explosive device, killing one soldier and wounding a half dozen.
At least 20 people were killed in a suicide bombing at General Dhagabadan in June 2021. Nearly three months later, al-Shabaab terrorists carried out another attack, but this time, the suicide bomber was the lone casualty.