The Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab on Saturday 10th April 2021 conducted more than four separate attacks using IEDs and vest explosions (suicide attack) in three major cities including the capital Mogadishu.
At least two improvised explosive device (IED) attacks were reported on Mogadishu, one IED attack in port city of Kismayo, Lower Juba and one vest explosion in Baidoa, the capital of Somalia’s Bay region and administrative capital of the South West State.
Security analysts at Strategic Intelligence (SI) have in the latest weekly counterterrorism briefs warned of a possible bloody Ramadhan in Somalia citing a series of attacks in the Horn of Africa nation. Al-Shabaab in the past week greatly promoted the videos of it past attacks from across a number of Somalia regions. The videos had special instructions mostly which called on Shabaab fighters to attack security forces and their defense posts, besides targeting on non-Muslims.
In one notable attack, a suicide bomber targeted the Governor of Bay region of Somalia. Al-Shabaab suicide bomber detonated his vest outside a busy hotel in Baidoa killing at least six civilians and injuring seven others. Among those killed included two of the Governor’s bodyguards.
Ali Wardhere Dooyow, the governor of Bay region who was the target managed to escape the assassination attempt, with the Islamist Al-Shabaab claiming responsibility of the attack explain through the media channels that the governor was their target.
Also on Saturday, an IED targeted a security forces convoy in Mogadishu’s Yaqshiid district killing two officers and wounding another. The same day in Mogadishu, five civilians, including a child, were killed when a suicide bomber detonated himself at a tea shop. Also, Landmine blast targeted a vehicle carrying traffic police officers in the vicinity of Haile Barise factory in Mogadishu. Reports say one officer was killed and two others sustained injuries. In another separate operation, Somali police officer Mahad Ali was shot dead by suspected Al-Shabab assassins in Hodan district of Mogadishu. The killers escaped from the crime scene as police started an operation over Sunday’s assassination.
A week ago, Somalia’s army said soldiers had killed scores of Al-Shabaab fighters who attacked two key military bases.
SNA colonel from the 27th Division said they have detonated at least five IEDs planted by Al-Shabaab operatives in the road between Balad district and Qalimow village in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, an indication of how using IEDs has increased so far in Somalia.
Counterterrorism actors in Somalia urged to be vigilant on their respective areas of responsibility in order stem down such notable attacks beside thwart unfolding scenario of a possible bloody Ramadhan in Somalia and beyond.
