A powerful explosion rocked the Jale Siyad military base in Mogadishu on Wednesday, followed by bursts of gunfire, according to eyewitness accounts, as the al Qaeda-linked militant group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for what it described as a suicide bombing.
It remained unclear whether the blast caused any casualties. “We heard a sudden explosion, then gunfire erupted from inside the base,” said Ahmed Nur, a local bus driver. “There was thick smoke, but we couldn’t see much else.”
Al Shabaab said the attack specifically targeted “Western experts” training Somali soldiers at the base, adding that there were casualties, though it offered no further details. Reuters was unable to independently verify the group’s claim. Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi did not respond to requests for comment.
The Jale Siyad base has been targeted before. In 2023, a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers there. More recently, in May, a similar attack outside the nearby Damanyo base killed at least 10 young recruits queuing to register.
Al Shabaab has waged a violent insurgency across Somalia since 2007 and continues to launch deadly attacks despite recent military setbacks. The group has regained influence in several rural areas this year, even as Somali forces, supported by international partners, attempt to retake territory.
The attack comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of Somalia’s security. A newly scaled-down African Union peacekeeping force replaced a larger contingent earlier this year, but the mission’s long-term funding remains in doubt. The United States has voiced opposition to transitioning the force to a United Nations-funded model.