At least 15 die after car bombs destroy houses in Somalia

Mogadishu — Two car bombs detonated by Al-Shabaab militants killed at least 15 people and flattened several houses in central Somalia’s Hiraan region on Wednesday, a government-allied militia and a local elder said.

Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab has been waging an insurgency against Somalia’s government since 2007. It was pushed out of Hiraan in 2022 by government forces and allied clan militias known as macawisley, but has continued to stage attacks.

“I have counted 15 dead people including soldiers, militiamen and civilians. Dozens were wounded,” said Abdullahi Osman, a shopkeeper in the town of Mahas.

“Many houses were destroyed. Fragments of the bombs injured people far from the site. The death toll may rise.”

Al-Shaabab’s media office claimed responsibility in a statement, saying it had targeted “apostate militias and soldiers”.

The insurgents have been under pressure since August when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud launched a military offensive shortly after coming into office. The government forces and macawisley have received support from US and AU troops.

The government says it has killed hundreds of Al-Shabaab fighters and recaptured dozens of settlements, though different sides often give conflicting accounts of clashes.

Despite the offensive, Al-Shabaab has carried out frequent attacks in recent months, including several in the capital Mogadishu against government installations and hotels.

Al-Shabaab’s activities have restricted deliveries of international aid, compounding the Horn of Africa’s worst drought in four decades.

Update: January 4 2023
The death toll and quote have been updated in this story.

Reuters