Mogadishu Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 10 at Army Recruitment Drive

Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 13 at Mogadishu Army Recruitment Center

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A suicide bomber targeted a line of young recruits waiting to register at a military base in Somalia’s capital on Sunday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 21 others, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The attack occurred at the Damanyo base, where dozens of teenagers had gathered at the entrance in hopes of joining the Somali armed forces.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and devastation. “There was a loud explosion, and immediately people began running in all directions. Bodies were everywhere,” said Abdulkadir Hassan Mohamed, a tuk-tuk driver who witnessed the blast. A soldier stationed at the camp, who identified himself only as Hussein, said the attacker disguised himself as a recruit before detonating the explosives. Among the dead were at least five civilians who were passing by at the time.

Medical staff at a nearby military hospital reported treating 30 wounded, with several succumbing to their injuries shortly after arrival. Government forces quickly sealed off the area in the aftermath of the attack.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility, but the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militant organization has a history of targeting military and government sites in Mogadishu as part of its long-running insurgency. The bombing comes just a day after the assassination of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, a senior army officer, amid growing concerns about militant infiltration of Somalia’s security forces.

This latest attack echoes previous deadly incidents in the city, including a 2023 suicide bombing at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy that killed 25 soldiers and wounded 70, an assault for which al-Shabab claimed responsibility