Somali soldier injured by suicide bomber in Afgoye

A suicide bomber and member of jihadist group Al-Shebab rammed a car laden with explosives into the front gate of a government base in Afgoye, a town thirty kilometers away from Mogadishu.

Reuters/Stuart Price/Handout

Further details are emerging about the extent of the damage caused by yesterday’s suicide car bomb attack on the local government headquarters in Afgoye.

The head of regional security services, Khalif Hashi, confirmed to RFI today that one Somali soldier was wounded in the attack.

Several civilians were injured when the suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into the front gate of a government base in the town, which is just 30 kilometres from the capital, Mogadishu.

The al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shebab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

A police officer told RFI that the Somalia military foiled the attack after forces shot the suicide bomber before his final destination and who then blew himself up.

Residents in the town said the explosion was so big it caused serious damage to property and houses nearby.

“The bomber managed to get inside the government base and attempted to kill the apostate forces”, according to a statement signed by Sheikh Abdu Aziz, a Shebab spokesperson, adding “fighters will intensify their attacks against AU (African Union) and TFG (Transitional Federal Government) forces in the coming days.”

The blast has shattered the relative calm of Afgoye, which was taken back from Shebab by AU-backed Somali troops area after a week long operation in May.

The importance of controlling Afgoye lies in both its proximity to Mogadishu and the high concentration of money transfer outlets in the town on which Shebab relies on for funding.