The Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab has once again demonstrated its ruthless racketeering tactics, setting fire today to six cargo trucks carrying charcoal from Lower Shabelle and Hiiraan to Mogadishu.
Photos obtained by Kaab TV from the area show the trucks burning along the road between Wanla-Weyn and Afgooye in Lower Shabelle region.
One of the truck drivers told Kaab TV that Al-Shabaab members intercepted the vehicles as they were travelling along the road connecting Wanla-Weyn and Afgooye.
“The trucks were burned by Al-Shabaab’s local faction, particularly members stationed at checkpoints. The trucks belonged to two owners from Gaaljecel, Habar Gidir and Murusade,” the driver said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Afgooye is only 30km from southwest of Mogadishu.
What Led to the Burning of the Trucks?
According to informed sources who spoke to Kaab TV, Al-Shabaab had for some time been collecting extortion payments from charcoal trucks, with the money channelled through a committee responsible for the truck operators.
However, the situation changed last week after U.S.-trained Danab forces arrested two members of the committee, identified as Ahmed Soomaali and Osman Jawjawley.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the two men served as the chairman and head of finance of the charcoal truck operators’ committee, respectively, and collected payments from the trucks on behalf of Al-Shabaab.
BREAKING: Al-Shabaab militants today set fire on 6 trucks carrying charcoal near Afgooye town, about 30km from Somalia capital, Mogadishu.
A video from the area shows trucks destroyed by the fire early morning on Wednesday.
Somali police in the area have not responded and the… pic.twitter.com/Fm7M19VPQm
— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) August 19, 2026
Following their arrest, Al-Shabaab’s finance office contacted the remaining members of the committee and ordered them to continue the operation.
Fearing for their safety, the committee members travelled to Mogadishu and switched off their phones.
Sources said Al-Shabaab later contacted some of the truck drivers and ordered them to reconstitute the committee.
The truck operators reportedly responded that each person was willing to pay whatever amount was demanded from them individually, but that they could not take responsibility for collecting or managing payments on behalf of others.
That disagreement marked the beginning of the dispute between Al-Shabaab and the truck operators, according to the sources.
A security official in Afgooye told Kaab TV that Al-Shabaab attacked the cargo trucks this morning as they were travelling along the road between Afgooye and Wanla-Weyn, setting six of them on fire.
Al-Shabaab and the Charcoal Ban
Al-Shabaab has long prohibited tree cutting and charcoal production. However, since 2023, following the group’s loss of control over several areas, it has reportedly reduced enforcement of the ban on the charcoal trade.
Earlier this week, the group again issued strict orders against tree cutting and charcoal production.
Under the latest orders, people who had already cut trees were given 20 days to use or dispose of the wood they had cut, while being warned against cutting additional trees.
Afgooye police have not commented on the incident. The area where the attack took place remains under significant Al-Shabaab presence and control.