On 14 October 2017, two truck bombings took place in

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

, the capital of

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, killing at least 587 people and injuring 316 others. Almost all of the casualties were caused by one of the trucks which detonated when the driver, while attempting to escape from security officials, crashed through a barrier and exploded in the

Hodan District Hodan District () is a district in the southeastern Banaadir region of Somalia. It is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of Mogadishu. This district as well as the bordering Deeynile district are a part of the traditional Territory of the Isa ...

, destroying a hotel. The intended target of the attack is believed to have been a secure compound housing international agencies and troops. The second blast happened close by, killing two people. A third explosives-laden truck was captured by police. Though no organisation claimed responsibility, officials stated that a key member of the

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

that carried it out had informed them that Islamist group al-Shabaab was responsible. The attack is the deadliest in Somalia's history, surpassing the 2011 Mogadishu bombing that killed 100 people. It is the second deadliest terrorist attack in African history, and the continent's deadliest bombing. In response to the bombings, Somali president

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (, ; born March 11, 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was Prime Minister of Somalia, prime minister of Somalia for six months, from Novembe ...

declared three days of mourning.

Background

During the summer of 2011, the East African region faced a drought and shortage of food supplies, particularly in the Somali region, forcing tens of thousands of people to cross the borders into Ethiopia and Kenya for refuge. Al-Shabaab, a

jihadist Jihadism is a neologism for modern, armed militant Political aspects of Islam, Islamic movements that seek to Islamic state, establish states based on Islamic principles. In a narrower sense, it refers to the belief that armed confrontation ...

fundamentalist group designated as a

terrorist organization Several national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and former ...

by several countries, threatened to expel the aid groups working in the area before the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...

troops took action to force the al-Shabaab fighters out of the region. In July 2010, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a bombing in Kampala, Uganda in retaliation for Uganda's support for, and presence in, AMISOM. In 2017, Somalia was continuing to suffer its worst drought in 40 years, with climatic catastrophe compounded by war and poor governance. Al-Shabaab banned humanitarian assistance in areas that it controlled, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to choose between starvation or brutal punishment. The United States maintained a military involvement in Somalia until 1994, when it withdrew. Earlier in 2017, the U.S. had designated Somalia a "zone of active hostilities," allowing for looser rules and oversight concerning the authorization of drone strikes and ground operations, and the deployment of regular American forces to Somalia was again authorized. This saw the number of American ground forces in Somalia increase from about 50 in 2016 to 400 in 2017. The bombings occurred amidst deep public discontent and political divisions between federal and regional leaders.

Attacks

On 14 October 2017, a large truck filled with explosives was detonated at a busy crossroads near the Safari Hotel in the

, at least a kilometre from the Medina Gate. The effect of the bombing was compounded by a fuel tanker parked nearby that caused a massive fireball. Sources close to the government said that the truck contained 350 kg of homemade and military-grade explosives. The truck had been briefly detained at a checkpoint, but was allowed to proceed after local authorities vouched for it. It was then stopped by security officials while stuck in a traffic jam. When it was about to be searched, the driver accelerated and crashed through a barrier, and the truck exploded. The Safari Hotel collapsed, trapping many under its rubble, and the Qatari embassy was severely damaged. According to a Somali intelligence official investigating the attack, the truck was overloaded and covered with a tarpaulin. Dust on the truck aroused the suspicion of soldiers at a checkpoint just outside Mogadishu. The soldiers ordered the driver to park and exit the vehicle, and the assailant called a well-known man who vouched for the truck. After passing the checkpoint, the truck sped through another checkpoint where soldiers fired upon it and flattened one of its tires. The driver parked on a busy street and detonated the explosives. A senior police investigator stated that the truck was packed with two tonnes of

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...

s. A Toyota Noah minivan loaded with explosives was also intercepted and stopped, but it later detonated without casualties. Officials said that the target of the attacks was the heavily guarded Mogadishu airport compound, where the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

, most

embassies A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually denotes a ...

and the headquarters of the 22,000-strong

are based. The minivan was to blast open the Medina Gate entrance to the compound to allow the truck with more explosives to enter and detonate. The possible complicity of personnel manning vehicle checkpoints was under investigation after claims that the first truck was stopped at two checkpoints en route to Mogadishu without any cargo inspection. A second bombing occurred about 30 minutes later, less than 300 metres away, killing two people in the Medina district.

Victims

As of 4 March 2018, at least 587 people had been confirmed killed. The explosion took place on one of the busiest streets in Mogadishu. Victims included senior civil servants, five paramedic volunteers, a journalist, an American-Somali man, a medical student and 15 children. The full death total may never be known with certainty, as the remains of many people would not be found because of the effects of the intense heat (which could be felt 100 metres away from the scene) and others were buried quickly by relatives following Islamic custom. Approximately 160 bodies that could not be recognised were buried by the government the day after the bombing. Over a hundred injured were taken to the Madina hospital, one of six overcrowded nearby hospitals.

Perpetrators

While no group has admitted responsibility, officials believe that the attack was perpetrated by a cell of the group al-Shabaab, following statements made by a key member, a veteran militant who had taken part in previous attacks in Mogadishu. Investigators believed that the attack may have been motivated by a desire for revenge for the botched U.S.-led raid on his hometown in August. He was arrested while driving a second explosives-packed vehicle into the city on the day of the explosion. An official said that the man had confessed and was proud of what he had done for the cause of

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

. Another official said that the bombs were hidden under rice, sugar and other goods in the truck. The driver was detained but a local businessman and tribal leader vouched for the truck. The official stated that investigators were determining whether the attackers were helped from within the security forces. A Somali intelligence official stated that the man who had vouched for the truck was arrested. In February 2018, a

military court A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...

in Mogadishu sentenced two people to death for their role in the bombings. According to the court, Hassan Aden Isak was driving a truck intended to be used in a second bombing. Ibrahim Hassan Absuge was sentenced ''

in absentia ''In Absentia'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. The album marked several changes for the band, with it being the first with new drummer Gavin Harrison and the f ...

'' for the bombings as well, and is also accused of masterminding the November 2016 Mogadishu car bombing that killed 20 people.

Reactions

Domestic

Somali president

declared three days of national mourning. He and hundreds of other Somali citizens donated blood. "Today's horrific attack proves our enemy would stop (at) nothing to cause our people pain and suffering. Let's unite against terror," he said on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

, "Time to unite and pray together. Terror won't win."

International

The

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

expressed condolences to victims and wished a quick recovery for the injured. It called the attack "senseless and cowardly" and said it would stand with Somalia against extremism.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mogadishu bombings, 2017-10-14 2017 murders in Somalia 14 October 2017 bombings 2010s trials 21st-century mass murder in Somalia 14 October 2017 bombings 2017 building bombings 14 October 2017 bombings 14 October 2017 bombings Hotel bombings in Somalia Islamic terrorist incidents in 2017 Mass murder in 2017 14 October 2017 bombings Murder trials October 2017 crimes in Africa Attacks on diplomatic missions in Somalia Suicide bombings in 2017 14 October 2017 Suicide car and truck bombings in Somalia Terrorist incidents in Somalia in 2017 Somali Civil War (2009–present) Trials in Africa Tank truck bombings Road incidents in Somalia 2017 road incidents in Africa 2017 in international relations Arson in Africa Arson in 2017 2010s fires in Africa