Truck Explosion Kills Dozens at Somali Checkpoint

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24th Sep, 2023. 12:15 am
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Truck bomb explosion kills 18 in central Somali town
The explosion targeted a security checkpoint in a residential neighborhood
40 people were injured, 20 in critical condition

The number of fatalities resulting from a truck bomb explosion in the central Somali town of Beledweyne has now reached 18, according to a statement by a senior regional official.

This tragic incident occurred in the context of ongoing conflict with armed groups in the Horn of Africa nation.

Abdirahman Dahir Gure, who serves as the interior minister of Hirshabelle state where Beledweyne is situated, disclosed this updated death toll on Saturday. The explosion had specifically targeted a security checkpoint within a residential neighborhood.

Additionally, Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, the director-general of the Hirshabelle Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, reported that 40 individuals sustained injuries as a result of the blast.

“Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” he told The Associated Press.

Previously, a local police official had initially reported the death toll as 10 in the explosion.

This incident occurred amid heightened government efforts to combat the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab armed group.

“It was a truck loaded with explosive devices that forcefully passed through the government-manned checkpoint, and a pick-up vehicle belonging to security personnel was chasing it when it exploded,” witness Abdikadir Arba, who said he was about 200 meters (656 feet) away and was one of the first responders, told The Associated Press by phone.

Buildings turned into rubble

Videos circulating on social media, with some of them confirmed by Al Jazeera, depict residents engaged in the search for survivors amidst the wreckage of the demolished structures.

According to police officer Ahmed Aden, who spoke to the Reuters news agency, buildings, and shops near the explosion site were completely flattened.

A woman, Halima Nur, who was near the site, told Reuters her niece and others had been in a nearby shop and could not be reached. “I do not know what to say, all the kiosks are now just rubble. I can’t trace my niece,” she said.

No specific group has taken responsibility for the explosion in the central Somali town situated within the Hiran region.

This area has recently been a battleground between the military and the al-Shabab armed group.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated organization has escalated its attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who secured a second term in office last year, declared a comprehensive offensive against the group. Al-Shabab aims to overthrow the fragile internationally-supported government in Mogadishu.

On Friday, government forces asserted that they had killed numerous fighters in the Galmudug state.

For the past 15 years, the Horn of Africa nation has grappled with armed uprisings, with the primary threats stemming from both al-Shabab and ISIS-linked (ISIL) militant groups.

Despite being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the al-Shabab armed group still retains control over extensive rural areas.

President Mohamud, who has been recently visiting the front lines, stated in August that government forces intend to “eradicate” these armed groups by year’s end.

Truck Explosion Kills Dozens at Somali Checkpoint

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