Wednesday, 19, March 2025 {HMC} Al-Shabaab militants targeted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy at El-Gab junction in Mogadishu on Tuesday as he was en route to the airport for a visit to the frontlines in Middle Shabelle.
Two senior government and military officials confirmed that President Mohamud was unharmed. Presidential adviser Zakariye Hussein wrote in a post on X that he was “good and well on his way to the front lines.”
The attack, which affected one of the vehicles in the convoy, killed at least four people, including journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabashe, who was inside a nearby building that collapsed due to the explosion.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Telegram channel, saying, “Our fighters targeted a convoy of vehicles carrying Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as they were leaving the presidential palace and heading to the airport.”
Despite the attack, President Mohamud arrived hours later in Aden Yabaal district in Middle Shabelle, where he is expected to stay for several days to oversee the ongoing military campaign against Al-Shabaab, receive updates from field commanders, and boost troop morale.
The UK embassy in Mogadishu condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly” act.
“We condemn today’s cowardly attack on the President’s convoy in Mogadishu – our condolences are with all who lost a loved one & the wounded.
The UK remains a steadfast partner to the Somali Government as they fight the violent extremists behind this despicable attack,” the embassy said in a statement.
SOURCE HIIRAAN ONLINE
