Sunday May 18, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) – A suicide bombing targeted a group of young recruits outside Damanyo military base in Mogadishu on Sunday, killing at least ten people and injuring dozens more, according to eyewitnesses and medical personnel.

Witnesses reported that the attacker detonated explosives among teenagers lining up to register at the gate of the military base.

One witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, described seeing “hundreds of teenagers” gathered just moments before the explosion. “A deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered in smoke. We couldn’t see the details of the casualties,” he said.

Dozens of shoes and the remains of the attacker were visible at the scene shortly after the blast.

Medical sources at a nearby military hospital told local media that 30 people were brought in with injuries, six of whom died immediately from their wounds.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the bombing bears a resemblance to a similar incident in 2023, when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the nearby Jale Siyad base, raising concerns about repeated security breaches targeting military facilities in the capital.

Government officials have not yet issued a statement on the incident.