...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda..., a group that has been causing chaos and mayhem in the country.
According to witnesses, the attack at Beledweyne, was the most devastating in as many months, with the corpse count likely to rise significantly. Those injured have been rushed to regional hospitals for further treatment, but the government is yet to confirm the exact number of those who have died.
A truck bomb exploded near a busy checkpoint near the town center, with the immediate target still not year known, witnesses said. The explosion caused massive destruction to neighboring residential areas within the country, witnesses added while acknowledging the presence of several bodies.
The checkpoint is located at the former beverages factory building known as Horseed, sources said, without giving much details. The town is fragile and quite exposed to al-Shabaab attacks, but in recent weeks, it has been extremely calm, according to residents.
Beledweyne, 350Kms north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu is the Hiiraan regional capital within HirShabelle state, and lately, it has been the epicenter of the fight against al-Shabaab krazed killers, particularly through clan mobilization since last year.
The al-Shabaab krazed killers, through their proxy media houses, have already taken responsibility, without giving specific details on the target. However,
some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them...
the forces of Evil usually target senior government officials, security officers, and at times innocent civilians in the country.
In recent weeks, al-Shabaab forces of Evil have been attacking government forces in south and central Somalia, following the activation of operations against the group in central Somalia. The krazed killers, however, have been facing defeats in the country given the sustained military operations.
On the 19th of this month, Somalia wrote to the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
Security Council, asking for a technical pause on the withdrawal of the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS].
At least 3,000 soldiers were expected to leave the mission by the end of this month, but Somalia insists it needs at least three more months for the move to be effected.
Somali PM Hamza Abdi Barre sends his condolence in the aftermath of what he called a “cowardly, murderous” terror attack in Baladweyne town on Saturday that killed at least 20 people and caused massive destruction. pic.twitter.com/sOXJoFf8Du
— Shabelle Media Network (@ShabelleMedia) September 23, 2023
| Update at 12:15 p.m. EDT courtesy of Fred: |
Watch: A truck bomb has exploded at a checkpoint in the central Somali town of #Beledweyne, killing at least 10 people and obliterating nearby buildings.#Somaliahttps://t.co/Tze15UkgZf pic.twitter.com/rkPPAGDxME
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) September 24, 2023
Related:
Beledweyne: 2023-07-09 Army re-ignites Al-Shabaab crackdown in central Somalia
Beledweyne: 2023-05-26 Somalia forces foil major Al-Shabaab attack
Beledweyne: 2023-05-08 Hiran gov bans vehicles delivering food to Shaboob territory
Beledweyne: 2023-07-09 Army re-ignites Al-Shabaab crackdown in central Somalia
Beledweyne: 2023-05-26 Somalia forces foil major Al-Shabaab attack
Beledweyne: 2023-05-08 Hiran gov bans vehicles delivering food to Shaboob territory