A truck bomb went off in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday, November 14 2017. At least 300 people were killed and there are hundreds of reports of serious injuries and hospitalizations. Many of the victims were badly burned to the point beyond recognition or left with serious crush injuries. The bomb went off on a busy street on which many key ministries were located. The person, or group, that set off the bomb has not yet been identified. All the Somalian government currently knows is that it was a terrorist attack that affected many people.
According to Business Insider, there were two vehicles that had bombs within them: one truck and one minivan. One of the vehicles was stopped at a checkpoint before the event, and the bomb was detained. Because of this, one of the bombs was defused and did not go off. The other vehicle made it through the checkpoints but was seen as suspicious by some security guards. The suspicion led to the driver of the second vehicle detonating his or her bomb early. The bombs were originally supposed to go off in or around the airport. While his identity is unknown, the man responsible for this action is thought to be a member of the Somali Army whose village had been raided. According to a Guardian report, investigators believed his actions were instigated by revenge but this is only speculation.
The Aamin Ambulance was one of the groups that responded to the tragedy. They tweeted, “In our 10 year experience as the first responder in Mogadishu, we haven’t seen anything like this.” Another responder who helped treat victims was Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, the director of Medina Hospital. Yusuf said, “This is really horrendous, unlike any other time in the past.”
Terrorist attacks have occurred in Somalia before by numerous groups, including Al-Qaida and many of their sub-groups. While it is not uncommon in the area, many, including the Aamin Ambulance and Yusuf, see this as an exceptionally horrific attack.
According to NBC News, the government is pointing blame at the Al-Qaida-linked extremist group Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab has offered no comment on the situation. While officials are unsure, the group’s previous history aligns them with detonating truck bombs in urban areas. Investigators in Somalia and the US are still working to find out the perpetrators.
The Al-Shabaab have been listed as terrorist organizations in eight different countries including the US and Canada. It is important for students to care about Somalia because this group has affected hundreds of people around the world. They have not posed a risk in the United States yet but they have been identified within the country. Students and the general public need to be aware of the damage this group can do.
