Monday July 1, 2024
Beledweyne (HOL) - At least two people, including a soldier, were killed in an explosion in the central Somali town of Beledweyne in the Hiiraan region on Sunday afternoon.
According to residents, the explosion occurred at a Somali government security forces checkpoint near the Djibouti troops serving under the ATMIS mission in the Howlwadag neighbourhood.
Beledweyne security agencies and the Hirshabelle State government have not commented on the incident, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The explosion took place on the same day that the African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) handed over the forward operating base in Beledweyne to the National Armed Forces. This transfer marks the fifth base to be handed over as part of phase 3 of the ATMIS troop drawdown.