MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) – As further details emerge from the horrific suicide attack that struck a military training camp in Mogadishu on Monday, the death toll has tragically risen to more than 40, with the number of injured reaching 73, according to reports from security sources and various hospitals.
The devastating attack took place in the early hours of Monday, when a lone suicide bomber managed to infiltrate the Jaalle Siyaad military training camp and detonated an explosive vest amidst a group of military personnel and recruits from the 14th October Brigade, who had been lining up after their breakfast.
In the aftermath of the attack, some relatives of the fallen soldiers gathered for funeral prayers at Madina Hospital. They revealed that four more soldiers succumbed to their injuries later in the afternoon, further adding to the growing death toll.
The extremist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a press release, the militants put the number of those killed at 73 soldiers and 124 others injured.
According to their account, approximately 250 soldiers were present at the site when the attack occurred at around 8:15 a.m. local time in Mogadishu.
Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying scene to Kaab TV, confirming the presence of a young man entering the camp just moments before the deafening blast ripped through the area.
The 14 October Brigade, predominantly composed of individuals from the Biyamaal clan, had reportedly been recently transferred from their base in the town of Marka, located in the Lower Shabelle region, to undergo refresher training in Mogadishu.
Notably, the establishment of the 14 October Brigade stemmed from the tragic truck bombing that claimed hundreds of lives in Mogadishu on October 14, 2017.
The Somali government’s military radio posted a statement on its Facebook page, asserting that an investigation into the breach leading to the suicide bomber’s entry into the army camp is underway. However, the post was promptly removed, adding to the suspicions surrounding the attack.
Thus far, both the Ministry of Defense and the Command of the Armed Forces have refrained from releasing any official information regarding the attack. The nature of the attack, targeting a majority of soldiers from a single clan who had recently been relocated to the capital, has raised significant concerns and questions among the public.
As Mogadishu mourns the loss of the soldiers and grapples with the aftermath of this appalling attack, there is a little hope about any credible investigation into the true plotters of the attack.