Somalia’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that an official investigation is underway following an explosion at the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in the heart of the capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday. The blast, which disrupted operations at one of the nation’s premier military training institutions, has been claimed by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group, al-Shabab, as the result of a suicide attack.
Details surrounding the incident remain fluid, and authorities have yet to confirm whether any casualties were sustained. The explosion occurred within the perimeter of the academy, a key hub for the training of Somalia’s next generation of armed forces.
The militant group al-Shabab issued a statement shortly after the blast, asserting that the attack had targeted a foreign delegation involved in training Somali army recruits. According to their claim, the assailant detonated an explosive device after being intercepted by security personnel.
Eyewitness Adan Hassan, a new army recruit present at the scene, recounted the moment to the Associated Press via telephone:
“The attacker was wearing a suicide vest and was stopped before reaching his intended target. He detonated the device prematurely, resulting in limited casualties.”
The Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy has previously been in the crosshairs of al-Shabab. In July 2023, the facility suffered a devastating attack when a suicide bomber disguised in military uniform infiltrated the compound, killing at least 25 soldiers and injuring more than 70 in one of the deadliest assaults on Somali military personnel in recent memory.
Al-Shabab continues to wage a violent insurgency aimed at toppling the internationally backed Somali government and replacing it with its own austere interpretation of Islamic law. Military installations, particularly those associated with foreign-trained forces, remain frequent targets in the group’s campaign of terror.
In response to the persistent threat, the Somali government has ramped up counter-insurgency operations across key regions. Just last week, national forces carried out a coordinated offensive in the central Hiran region, reclaiming several strategic towns and villages that had fallen under militant control.
Wednesday’s incident underscores the persistent security challenges facing Somalia, even as the government pushes forward with efforts to build a more robust and professional national defense force amid a volatile and evolving threat landscape.
