Double Truck Bombing in Mogadishu

On October 14^th, a double truck bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia killed 300 people and wounded another 300.

The first truck bomb went off in the K5 district, an area with government buildings, restaurants and hotels in the area. The Somali government believes that the bomb was meant to target the foreign ministry in the district but exploded near a hotel. Two hours later, a second truck bomb exploded in the Medina district.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, al-Shabaab which is allied to al-Qaeda, has staged regular attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.

In 2017, there have 36 car bombings in Mogadishu, with al-Shabaab claiming responsibility for most of the bombings. The size of the bombings Saturday were well beyond what al-Shabaab has traditionally been capable of. This could suggest that the group may have received help from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is known for its explosives expertise, and which has close ties to al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s U.N.-backed government since 2007 and attempting to impose Sharia law in Somalia. Al-Shabaab has lost much of its territory in recent years to African Union forces, the Somali Army and U.S. air raids, but has still managed to carry out attacks in Mogadishu and take over towns in rural areas. Al-Shabaab has taken advantage of remote areas outside of Mogadishu where the government can’t assert its authority and towns were military troops withdraw.

Under the Trump administration, Somalia was designated a “zone of active hostilities”, allowing commanders greater authority when launching airstrikes and relaxing restrictions designed to prevent civilian casualties. President Trump also authorized the deployment of regular U.S. troops to Somalia for the first time since 1994.

The U.S. has launched 15 airstrikes against al-Shabaab leaders, fighters and training camps since the beginning of the year.

On the same day, al-Shabaab took over Bariire, a town close to Mogadishu after government troops withdrew from the area.

Earlier this year, al-Shabaab vowed to escalate its activities after the U.S. and Somali governments announced new measures to stop the group. The U.S. measures included more airstrikes and deploying more troops to assist the Somali Army. The Somali president vowed to rid Somalia of al-Shabaab by rebuilding the army and using the same tactics used to force the group out of Mogadishu in 2011.

While al-Shabaab has carried out dozens of bombings this year, this latest attack is the deadliest in Somalian history.