Thursday September 28, 2023
Dhusamareb (HOL) - Somali military forces on Thursday intercepted two car bombs heading to Dhusamareb, a town in central Somalia where preparations for a massive anti-al-Shabab operation have been underway for the past two months.
According to the Somali government, the military stopped both vehicles and destroyed them on the outskirts of the town. Dhusamareb is currently hosting President Hassan Sheikh, along with top military and intelligence chiefs to coordinate and accelerate ongoing operations in the Galmudug and Hirshabelle states.
The government reported no casualties among the security forces due to the bombings. While the target of the attacks remains unclear, two weeks ago, the president of Somalia’s Galmudug regional state was unhurt when a bomb-laden car exploded about 300 meters from the guest house where the president and his travelling party were staying.
Lawmaker Abdisalam Haji Dhabancad said he and Senator Abdi Hassan Qaybdid sustained minor injuries when pieces of the wall fell on them after the blast.
In a recorded video, Galmudug President Kariye said that the al-Shabab attack in Las-Ga’amey, a small village in the Mudug region, had failed.
The previous week, a member of the Galmudug regional parliament and a local councilor were killed in a landmine explosion in El-Garas town in the Galgadud region.
In recent months, the Somali government has intensified its military campaign against al-Shabab but has recently faced setbacks in the fight in central Somalia.