This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 30, 2019, Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, claimed responsibility for an attack on a United States military base in Somalia.
The attack occurred at the US base in Baledogle, approximately 110 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, the capital city. According to reports, militants struck the base with explosives, followed by gunfire.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported following the attack. The US base serves as a launchpad for drone operations against Al-Shabaab, which controls significant sections of Somalia.
"Two heavy explosions occurred, the first one bigger than the other. There was also a heavy exchange of gunfire after the blasts but we don't know about the details," said Mohamed Adan, a Somali elder close to the scene of the attack.
Separately, the European Union confirmed a car bomb attack against a convoy of Italian advisers training the Somali National Army. Although the attack occurred along the Industrial Road in Mogadishu, no EUTM-S soldiers were injured, and only two vehicles sustained damage.
