2020 Afgooye bombing | |
---|---|
Part of the Somali Civil War (2009–present) | |
Location | Afgooye, Lower Shabelle, Somalia |
Date | 18 January 2020 |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing |
Weapons | Car bomb |
Deaths | 4 (+1 suicide bomber) |
Injured | 20 |
On 18 January 2020, a suicide car bombing killed four and injured at least 20 others in Afgooye, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. [1] Most of the casualties were police officers protecting Turkish contractors building a road. [2] The al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. [2] [3]
Al-Shabaab began as the armed wing [4] of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which later splintered into several smaller factions after its defeat in 2006 by Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the TFG's Ethiopian military allies. [5]
The group often carries out attacks in Somalia, especially in and around Mogadishu. [3] It less frequently attacks other African countries which support Somalia, especially neighbouring Kenya. Al-Shabaab carries out attacks to try to undermine Somalia's central government, which is backed by the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping troops, ( AMISOM). [6] On 14 October 2017, the worst attack by the organization killed more than 500 people with two bomb explosions that targeted Somalia's capital city Mogadishu. [7]
Turkey is a large donor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction to Somalia. [8] Turkey maintained an embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, until the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. [9] During the drought of 2011, Turkey contributed over $201 million to the humanitarian relief efforts in the impacted parts of Somalia. [10] Turkey assisted in the building of several hospitals, and helped renovate and rehabilitate the Aden Adde International Airport and the National Assembly building, among other initiatives. [11]
Al-Shabaab militants detonated a car bomb near Afgooye, which is in Lower Shabelle and is approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Mogadishu. [1] A Somali police commander said the intended target was Turkish construction workers. [3] The suicide bomber sped into an area where the engineers and police were having lunch. [6] Local witnesses described a "massive explosion" and "clouds of smoke". [1] The casualties were mostly police officers providing security. [3] Following the attack, al-Shabaab issued a statement, "We are behind the martyrdom of the suicide car bomb in Afgoye". [6]
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense wrote on Twitter: "We curse and condemn in the strongest terms the bomb terror attack which targeted innocent civilians in Somalia". [6]
2020 Afgooye bombing | |
---|---|
Part of the Somali Civil War (2009–present) | |
Location | Afgooye, Lower Shabelle, Somalia |
Date | 18 January 2020 |
Attack type | Suicide car bombing |
Weapons | Car bomb |
Deaths | 4 (+1 suicide bomber) |
Injured | 20 |
On 18 January 2020, a suicide car bombing killed four and injured at least 20 others in Afgooye, approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the Somali capital, Mogadishu. [1] Most of the casualties were police officers protecting Turkish contractors building a road. [2] The al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. [2] [3]
Al-Shabaab began as the armed wing [4] of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which later splintered into several smaller factions after its defeat in 2006 by Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the TFG's Ethiopian military allies. [5]
The group often carries out attacks in Somalia, especially in and around Mogadishu. [3] It less frequently attacks other African countries which support Somalia, especially neighbouring Kenya. Al-Shabaab carries out attacks to try to undermine Somalia's central government, which is backed by the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping troops, ( AMISOM). [6] On 14 October 2017, the worst attack by the organization killed more than 500 people with two bomb explosions that targeted Somalia's capital city Mogadishu. [7]
Turkey is a large donor of humanitarian aid and reconstruction to Somalia. [8] Turkey maintained an embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, until the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. [9] During the drought of 2011, Turkey contributed over $201 million to the humanitarian relief efforts in the impacted parts of Somalia. [10] Turkey assisted in the building of several hospitals, and helped renovate and rehabilitate the Aden Adde International Airport and the National Assembly building, among other initiatives. [11]
Al-Shabaab militants detonated a car bomb near Afgooye, which is in Lower Shabelle and is approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Mogadishu. [1] A Somali police commander said the intended target was Turkish construction workers. [3] The suicide bomber sped into an area where the engineers and police were having lunch. [6] Local witnesses described a "massive explosion" and "clouds of smoke". [1] The casualties were mostly police officers providing security. [3] Following the attack, al-Shabaab issued a statement, "We are behind the martyrdom of the suicide car bomb in Afgoye". [6]
The Turkish Ministry of National Defense wrote on Twitter: "We curse and condemn in the strongest terms the bomb terror attack which targeted innocent civilians in Somalia". [6]