Brigadier General Odowaa Yusuf Rage narrowly survived an assassination attempt in the Somali capital Mogadishu, after encountering a suicide bomber in the midst of traffic.
Eyewitnesses reveal the Army chief was traveling with several armored convoys near the Turbunka junction in Mogadishu’s Hodan district, when a vehicle laden with explosives sped towards the convoy of military vehicles.
The government troops traveling with the armored convoy and Army chief immediately opened fire on the suicide bomber driving the vehicle, killing the bomber instantly in a hail of bullets. The vehicle laden with explosives subsequently detonated causing a huge blast, followed by smoke billowing into the sky.
Shortly after the botched suicide bombing targeting the Army chief, the spokesperson for the Somali government’s Ministry of Information, Ismail Mukhtar stated that the would-be suicide bomber had been neutralized and a disaster had been averted.
The ministry of information gave no further details on the assassination attempt. However local media outlets such as Radio Shabelle reported at least two civilians where confirmed dead and eight others wounded.
On the other end, the armed group Al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing targeting the Army chief via a statement released on the pro militant website dubbed Somali Memo.
The militants went further and stated five personal body guards of the Army chief where killed in the suicide bombing, with nine other troops wounded.
The Somali government has not addressed, let alone attempted to debunk the claims made by the militants.
Following the terrorist attack, several journalists where arrested by government troops at the blast site for simply taking photos.
Those arrested include local Somali correspondents working for international media outlets such as Reuters and Andulus.
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Halgan Media Service Desk.
