On Sunday night (July 14th), a car bomb attack occurred outside a café in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, resulting in at least 5 deaths and 20 injuries.
According to a report by Reuters, on July 14th, a car bomb attack occurred near the Presidential Palace in Somalia, resulting in the destruction of 10 cars and damage to several buildings.
Local police stated that at the time of the explosion, customers at the café were watching the final of the 2024 European Championship football match on television.
Militants from the Al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack in their media, stating that the target of the bombing was a nighttime meeting place for Somalia’s security personnel and government officials.
The radical Islamic organization Al-Shabaab frequently carries out deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other areas controlled by the federal government of Somalia, prompting the government to launch clearance operations against them.
On Saturday, July 13th, an attempted prison break by prisoners convicted of involvement with Al-Shabaab led to a clash with prison guards in a prison in Mogadishu, resulting in at least 8 deaths.
According to information on the U.S. government’s official website, Al-Shabaab is an affiliate organization of Al-Qaeda with connections to other Al-Qaeda affiliates.
Al-Shabaab is a radical faction that emerged from the former Islamic Courts Union in Somalia, which took control of parts of southern Somalia in the latter half of 2006.
Since late 2006, Al-Shabaab and related militias have engaged in guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics to launch violent insurgencies against the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.
On July 11, 2010, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kampala, resulting in 76 deaths, including an American citizen.
Al-Shabaab also carried out attacks on civilians in 2013 and 2015, resulting in at least 213 deaths.
In March 2008, the U.S. government designated Al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization.