Somali militants from Al-Shabaab launched a bomb attack on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy as it was traveling through the capital, Mogadishu, on Tuesday March 18.
The Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted the President’s motorcade as it left the presidential palace on its way to the airport. Despite the severity of the assault, both government and military officials confirmed that the President was unharmed. Presidential adviser Zakariye Hussein later reassured the public in a post on X, stating that the President was “good and well on his way to the front lines.”
Witnesses, including soldiers and local residents, reported seeing the convoy hit by the explosion, with a Reuters journalist at the scene confirming the deaths of four individuals near the presidential palace. The attack marked the first direct attempt on Mohamud’s life since 2014, when Al-Shabaab bombed a hotel where he was giving a speech during his first term as president. The group, which has been waging a long-standing insurgency to overthrow the Somali government, claimed responsibility for the bombing through a statement on its Telegram channel.
In the hours following the attack, Somali state media broadcast images of President Mohamud in the Adan Yabal district, located in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region. This region has been the site of intense fighting over the past three weeks as Somali government forces continue to combat an escalating Al-Shabaab offensive. The attack on Tuesday highlights the ongoing threat posed by the militant group, despite ongoing military efforts to curb its influence.