Somali police said at least seven people, including civilians, were killed in a suicide bombing on October 17 near a police academy in the capital Mogadishu.
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| Somali police patrol near the scene of a suicide bombing in Mogadishu on October 17. (Source: AP) |
Al-Shabaab militants, a group linked to al-Qaeda that has carried out numerous attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia, have claimed responsibility for the bombing, Arab News reported.
Police officers said the suicide bomber approached a group of people drinking tea under a tree before detonating the device he was carrying at around 3:30 p.m. local time.
Rescuers rushed to the scene. According to witnesses, a famous poet was among the dead.
Earlier in August, at least 37 people were killed in an Al-Shabaab attack on a crowded beach in the capital.
Amid the unstable security situation, and with Ethiopian troops set to withdraw by the December 31 deadline, sources say Egypt is stepping up its military mission in Somalia.
Egypt and Somalia, both members of the Arab League (AL), signed a major military cooperation agreement in August 2024. Since then, Egypt has sent weapons, military advisers, trainers and counter-terrorism commandos to Somalia.
Thousands of Egyptian troops are expected to join a military mission in Somalia later this year. Cairo is also training and assisting Somali security forces in fighting militants linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist group.
Ethiopia is believed to have around 22,000 troops stationed in Somalia, the sources added. Ethiopian troops are deployed to Somalia under the terms of a bilateral agreement and are part of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force helping Somalia fight Al Shabab.
Both Egypt and Somalia have deep conflicts with Ethiopia. Cairo complains that the Grand Renaissance Dam being built by Addis Ababa on the Nile will reduce Egypt's water resources.
Somalia, meanwhile, says its sovereignty has been violated by a deal announced earlier this year between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, which agreed to lease 20 kilometers of its coastline to Ethiopia for 50 years. Ethiopia, a landlocked country, wants to establish a naval base and a commercial port on the Red Sea.
Egypt has announced its intention to replace Ethiopian peacekeepers by the end of the year, a move that Somalia has publicly supported.
Sources said some Somali forces, supported by Egyptian military advisers, have been sent to control Ethiopian troops' supply routes with the aim of blocking any attempt by Addis Ababa to send more troops to Somalia before the withdrawal deadline.
According to sources, the number of Ethiopian troops present in Somalia has increased by 7,000 to 22,000 shortly after Egypt began sending weapons, soldiers and military advisers to the Horn of Africa country.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/somalia-tan-cong-lieu-chet-o-thu-do-mogadishu-ai-cap-the-chan-ethiopia-hien-dien-quan-su-290497.html
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