Sunday September 24, 2023
Dhusamareb (HOL) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the deadly al-Shabab suicide attack in Beledweyne on Saturday, reportedly killing at least 36 people and leaving over 40 others wounded.
President Mohamud underscored that acts of terrorism would not deter the people and the Somali government from eradicating al-Shabaab militants in the country.
"The terrorist explosion in Beledweyne town underscores the enemy's aim to destroy our people everywhere. They target mosques, kill religious leaders, and assassinate community leaders. They were responsible for the destruction of the Baledweyne mosque today and the Daru-Nicma mosque yesterday," Mohamud said
A truck loaded with explosive devices at a taxation and security checkpoint at the former beverages factory building called Horseed. The truck forcefully passed through the government-manned checkpoint. According to eyewitnesses, a pickup vehicle belonging to security personnel was chasing when the explosion occurred.
The death toll has risen to 36 people, primarily civilians, though neither the Hirshabelle regional state nor the federal government has provided an official casualty count.
The director-general of the Hirshabelle Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, said that 40 people were wounded in the attack.
"Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment."
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May last year vowing "all-out war" against Al-Shabaab, whose fighters were driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but remain a potent force in control of large swathes of the countryside.