Over 120 People Dead, 300 Injured from Car Bombs in Somalia
Relatives moving a deceased body from the bombing site a day after the attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 30th. Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated Press
At least 120 people were confirmed dead and over 300 people injured in a bombing in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, that occurred last Saturday. The attacks have been blamed on al-Shabaab militants, who are linked to the terrorist organization, al-Qaeda.
The first of the attacks occurred at around 2 p.m. which hit the Education Ministry at the busy Zobe intersection in Mogadishu. The second bomb detonated as people and ambulances gathered to help others at the scene of the first attack, killing and injuring even more people.
The bombing was followed by a gunfire attack, specifically targeting Somalia’s Education Ministry. The attacks resulted in torn walls and broken windows all around the intersection along with many destroyed cars.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud released a video statement addressing the death toll of the attacks, “Our people who were massacred … included mothers with their children in their arms, fathers who had medical conditions, students who were sent to study, businessmen who were struggling with the lives of their families.” With 150 people being treated in hospitals, he warned that the death toll is continuing to rise, as they search the site of the attack.
The same busy intersection saw a similar attack in October of 2017, in which a truck bombing caused the deaths of more than 500 people, injuring another 300. The previous attack was thought to be conducted by the same terrorist organization, al-Shabaab, but it has not released a statement confirming this.
Reuters reported that the terrorist organization claimed responsibility soon after the most recent attacks, saying “the ministry was at the centre of a “war on minds” that teaches Somali children, using a Christian-based syllabus.” Their statement was emailed to the media.
People walking around the debris and rummage from the bombing, a day after the attacks occurred at the Zobe intersection on October 30th. Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated Press
The Somali government has struggled with al-Shabaab for quite some time. In May of 2022, the Somali government identified its fight against al-Shabaab as a top national security priority.
Al-Shabaab has continuously conducted indiscriminate attacks on the public. In August, the terrorist group attacked the Hotel Hayat in Mogadishu killing 30 people and injuring 50 more.
Since then, al-Shabaab has conducted daily raids, including two on Friday before the most recent deadly bombing, killing 16 people. Another occurred on Monday, killing another 5 civilians.
428 civilian casualties were reported to the UN in Somalia between February and May of 2022, 76% of which were performed by al-Shabaab. The group carries out their attacks seeking to overthrow the Somali government in order to establish their own system “based on an extreme interpretation of Islamic law.”
Recently, the U.S. military killed the leader of al-Shabaab, Abdullahi Nadir, in an airstrike in Somalia on October 3rd. The Somali government said that the person killed was one of the co-founders of the group.
The Somali government promised to further prioritize taking down the deadly organization with aid from international allies and global entities like the U.S., the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the African Union Commission. They have all provided medical and military supplies to help further protect the nation and its people after the attacks.