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The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bombing at a military recruitment center in Mogadishu has climbed to at least 20, with 15 others wounded, as authorities confirm the attack was carried out by the militant group al-Shabab.
The explosion occurred around 9:20 a.m. outside the gates of the Damaanyo military base in the capital’s Hodan district, where hundreds of young men had lined up to enlist in the Somali National Army. The bomber, intercepted near the entrance, detonated explosives before reaching the main crowd, according to security officials.
Among those killed were 15 recruits and five civilians who were passing nearby. Medical personnel at nearby military hospitals said some of the wounded remain in critical condition, and the death toll could rise.
“Security agencies are working to assess the full extent of the damage,” the Ministry of Information said in a statement. “We urge the public to await official updates from the government.”
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and devastation. One survivor said the attacker appeared to be a young man who briefly mingled with the recruits before setting off the blast. “He seemed off, but no one had the chance to react,” the recruit told local media.
A military officer who identified himself as Captain Suleiman said he watched from across the street as the attacker exited a speeding tuk-tuk and ran into the crowd before detonating the bomb. “I saw at least 10 people dead instantly, including both recruits and civilians,” he said.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked insurgent group, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The group has long targeted army recruitment drives and government facilities in a campaign to derail Somalia’s security rebuilding efforts.
The attack closely mirrors a 2023 suicide bombing at the nearby Jale Siyad base—located directly opposite Damaanyo—that killed 25 soldiers. The recurrence of such incidents has raised renewed concerns about persistent security gaps around military installations in the capital.
Sunday’s bombing also came just a day after the assassination of Col. Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of Battalion 26, in the central Hiiraan region. His killing, widely attributed to al-Shabab operatives, has fueled fears of militant infiltration within Somalia’s security forces.
Al-Shabab has waged an armed campaign against the federal government for more than 16 years, frequently targeting public institutions, military personnel, and recruitment centers to weaken national capacity.
