This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
On August 14, 2019, a military base in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region was struck by car bombs and gunfire, according to residents.
The attack occurred in Awdheegle, an agricultural district along the Shabelle River, approximately 70 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Residents described hearing two huge blasts and gunfire coming from the direction of the Somali military base, with several soldiers seen running away to escape.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it had killed 50 soldiers and two of its fighters had died.
Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab's military operation spokesman, said, “Two mujahideen driving two car bombs, one after the other, entered the Somali base in Awdheegle district today. We killed 50 government soldiers and burnt their vehicles.”
Government officials were not immediately available to comment on the incident or confirm the casualties, a common occurrence given the differing casualty figures provided by the jihadist group and government officials.
Al-Shabaab is fighting the weak, UN-backed Somali government and its international allies in a quest to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
