A deadly attack on a food supply convoy in Somalia

• The militants with ties to al-Qaeda seek to topple the federal government.
• The governor of the area informed the Somali service that “they planted a bomb inside the car while people were inside, and it exploded up.”
• Islamist extremist group al-Shabab has stated it was targeting a government-affiliated military group.

Following militant attacks on numerous trucks in Somalia’s central Hiiraan region, at least 20 people—including women and children—have died and food aid has been damaged.

The governor of the area informed the Somali service that “they planted a bomb inside the car while people were inside, and it exploded up.”

Islamist extremist group al-Shabab has stated it was targeting a government-affiliated military group.

The militants with ties to al-Qaeda seek to topple the federal government.

Al-Shabab dominates much of central and southern Somalia, but it has also been able to exert influence in regions that are under the control of the Mogadishu-based government.

More least 20 people were slain when its fighters assaulted a hotel in the capital two weeks ago.

According to estimates, up to 27 people may have died in Friday’s attack, but Hiiraan’s governor, Ali Jeyte Osman, warned that the death toll could grow.

“When the shooting began, some fled while others were hurt. Women and children are among the dead bodies still being gathered “said he.

Mr. Osman claimed that the militants were at war with the local civilian population and that they had set fire to villages and water wells.

Mohamed Abdirahman, the head of the local tribe, referred to the attack as horrifying and said that such a heinous crime had never occurred in the area before.

AFP cited him as stating, “These were innocent civilians who did nothing to deserve this.”

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, said that his nation will “leave no stone unturned” in the war against “terrorism” there.

Al-Shabab said in a statement that the lorries it struck were transporting food for some local fighters who were supporting the government’s battle against them.

The UN recently issued a warning that the worst was yet to come due to the continuous drought in the Horn of Africa, which has caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee to Somalia.

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