In Somalia, al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab have carried out three attacks. Two were simultaneous. The terrorists used suicide bombers loaded with explosives.
On April 3, Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab fighters attacked military bases in Barir and Avdhegla, about 100 kilometers southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The jihadist organization claimed the killing of 47 soldiers, the seizure of 6 cars and other military equipment. The Somali National Army, in turn, claims to have repelled the attack, killing a number of terrorists. As evidence, they published photos of some killed jihadists.
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The militants carried out the attack against the reinforcements sent to help the soldiers. According to some reports, the commander of the Somali National Army, Odawa Yusuf Raj, was in the convoy of the Somali Armed Forces. He was not hurt.
The same day, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in the Shangani area, in the capital Mogadishu. In a statement, al-Qaeda-affiliated group indicated that 15 people were killed and 9 others were injured in the attack.
The Somali authorities confirmed the attacks by Al-Shabab, but did not provide an exact number of casualties. The command of the Somali Armed Forces said that the attempt to seize garrisons by the Islamists had failed.
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Also on April 3, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a busy restaurant in the Shangani district of Mogadishu. At least six people were killed and four more injured.
Al-Shabaab militants have already carried out a number of attacks in Somali the last month. Among the most recent, there are:
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On March 15, terrorists reported an attack on US-trained Somali commandos near the city of Toratu, southwest of the capital Mogadishu. The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber in a car bomb.
The military reportedly failed to recapture the city from Al-Shabaab, and retreated to the Balidogle military airbase.
On March 9, several mortar shells hit the heavily fortified Halane Base Camp, used by African Union peacekeeping forces and Western diplomatic missions, including the US Embassy in Mogadishu.
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