Somalia

29 Dec 2019; MEMO: At least 90 people were killed and dozens were wounded when a bomb-laden vehicle exploded at a bustling checkpoint in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, an international organisation working in the country said, in one of the most deadly recent attacks, reports Reuters.

The dead included many students and two Turkish nationals, the Somali foreign minister said.

Rescuers carried bodies past the twisted wreckage of a vehicle and a minibus taxi smeared with blood.

TASS, December 28: The number of people killed in a car bomb explosion in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu may have exceeded 90, Member of Somali Federal Parliament Abdirizak Mohamed stated on Twitter.

"I was informed the death toll stands over 90 including 17 Somali police officers, 73 civilians and 4 foreign nationals. May Allah have mercy on the victims of this barbaric attack," he wrote.

MOGADISHU, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A massive car bomb blast left more than 20 people dead and many others wounded in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, police and witnesses said.

“The blast was devastating, and I could confirm more than 20 civilians killed, there were many more wounded, but the toll can be higher,” said police officer Ibrahim Mohamed.

“I have counted twenty-two dead bodies, all of them civilians and there were more than thirty others wounded, this was dark day,” said Ahmed Moalim Warsame, who witnessed the explosion.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 61 people were killed and dozens were wounded in an explosion at a bustling checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday, an ambulance service official said, the latest in a string of deadly attacks.

Rescuers carried dead bodies past the twisted wreckage of a vehicle and a minibus taxi smeared with blood.

“So far, we’ve carried 61 dead people and 51 others injured. There are more casualties and the death toll is sure to rise,” Abdikadir Abdirahman Haji Aden, founder of Aamin ambulances, told Reuters.

MOGADISHU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- International partners on Tuesday called on Somalis to embrace dialogue to agree on a way forward and to cooperate to realize the priorities agreed for the year ahead.

The partners including the Africa Union, UN, EU and the U.S. among others said the leaders including institutions and communities should work together provide a conducive environment for universal polls, finalize the constitution and fight al-Shabab in 2020.

MOGADISHU, Nov 29 (NNN-XINHUA) — The UN refugee agency welcomed Somalia’s ratification of an Africa-wide treaty on the protection of internally displaced people.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Africa is a landmark achievement for the country and the African continent.

MOGADISHU, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission will provide 87,000 U.S. dollars humanitarian assistance to victims of flooding that has wrought havoc in the horn of African State.

African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said in a statement late Saturday that the money will help populations affected by flooding rebuild their lives amid destruction on farms, houses and roads.

MOGADISHU, Oct 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A cache of weapons and 300 animals were seized from militant group al-Shabaab in an operation on Tuesday in Reydab village, 40km north of Baardheere in southern Somalia, the national army’s radio station reported.

The militants had forcefully taken the animals from locals, it said.

The commander of the operation Ali Mohamed Hassan told the radio station that several militants were captured alive.

Al-Shabaab – who want to overthrow the central government – impose taxes on locals to fund their operations.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Separate attacks hit a U.S. military base in the Somali town of Baledogle and an Italian military convoy in the Somali capital on Monday, a Reuters witness and a security source said.

A Reuters journalist saw a seriously damaged armored vehicle bearing a small Italian flag sticker in the capital of Mogadishu. It was unclear if there were any casualties.

Italy’s defense ministry said in a statement that an Italian military convoy had been hit by an explosion. No injuries had been reported so far, the defense ministry said.

MOGADISHU, Sept 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 20 Somali government soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded when al-Shabaab raided a military base south of Mogadishu.

Military sources said militants detonated a suicide car bomb at the El-Salin military base followed by an infantry attack in the early hours of Sunday.

The militants briefly took over the base, a regional official said.

A spokesman for Somali special forces said the militants attacked the base “in large numbers.”