Saturday July 29, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - At least 14 army officers, including the commander of the Jalle Siyad military academy, have been arrested in connection with Monday's al-Shabaab suicide bombing at the academy in Mogadishu, which killed at least 30 soldiers and left more than 70 others injured.
Addressing the Lower House on Saturday, Deputy Minister of Defense of Somalia, Abdifatah Qasim, revealed that the government is committed to holding all individuals involved in the attack accountable. He emphasized the need to address any facilitation of such acts.
It is the most significant number of military officers arrested in connection with an attack carried out by al-Shabaab. The Somali government engaged in a war against corruption amid increasing suspicion that some army officers have ties with the terrorist group and assist in orchestrating attacks.
The victims, who hailed from the Lower Shabelle region, had arrived in the capital for training. At the time of the incident, the soldiers were in a queue being counted when the suicide bomber detonated himself.The infiltration of the army camp by Al-Shabaab has raised significant concerns among authorities.
Since August, government forces have been making significant progress against the militants, launching a major Somali-led campaign against al-Shabaab, marking the most effective offensive against the terror group in the past 15 years.