Al-Shabaab targeted Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy with a roadside bomb in Mogadishu on Tuesday.
Security officials reported that the explosion occurred at El-Gab Junction near Villa Somalia, as the president’s convoy was en route to the airport. He was on his way to visit frontline troops in the Adan Yabal district.
The blast destroyed a building and caused damage to several vehicles, but the president remained unharmed.
“The President of the Republic is in good health and is currently on trips to oversee the blessed operations being carried out by the Armed Forces in the regions of the country, receiving full support from the local populations,” Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh Ali said in a post on X. “This nation cannot be intimidated by propaganda and falsehoods.”
Madaxwaynaha Jamhuuriyadda waa badqabaa, wuxuuna ku guda-jiraa safaro uu ugu kuurgalaayo hawlgalada barakaysan oo ay gobalada dalka ka wadaan CXD, iyagoo taageero buuxda ka helaaya shacabka deegaanadaas.
Naflacaarinimo iyo been la buunbuuniyo qarankan laguma cabsi-gelin karo.
— Hussein Sheikh-Ali (@XuseenMacallin) March 18, 2025
Although the president was unharmed, the attack claimed several lives, including those of journalists Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe and Ayuub Wardheere. Their bodies were discovered in the rubble of a collapsed building.
The Somali Journalists Syndicate and the Somali Women Journalists Organization condemned the attack and extended condolences to the victims’ families and friends.
“Heartbreaking news from Mogadishu: Journalists Mohamed Abukar Dabaashe and Ayuub Wardheere tragically lost their lives in today’s explosion. @SWJOSomalia extends heartfelt condolences to their families, friends, and the media community. #PressFreedom #Somalia” pic.twitter.com/v1gxDZdWGG
— Somali Women Journalists Organization (SWJO) (@SWJOSomalia) March 18, 2025
#ALERT
Somali journalist Mohamed Abukar Dabashe, an independent online journalist and former reporter for Risaala Media, has been confirmed dead in today’s bombing at Ceel Gaabta Junction, which targeted the convoy of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The Somali Journalists… pic.twitter.com/k8aBkqEDAj
— Somali Journalists Syndicate – SJS (@sjs_Somalia) March 18, 2025
In a post on X, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called the bombing “cowardly” and urged unity against terrorism.
“This attack serves as a stark reminder to the Somali people and officials of the need for unity and collective action to counter the wicked acts of terrorist groups,” his post reads.
Waxaan si kulul u cambaaraynayaa weerarka loo adeegsaday qaraxa ee kooxda argagixisada Al-Shabaab maanta ka gaysatay Magaaladda Muqdisho kaas oo galaaftay nolosha dad Soomaaliyeed iyagoo sooman oo aan waxba galabsan.
Waxaan si gaar ah uga tacsiyeynayaa qoyskiisa iyo bahda…
— Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (@HESharifShAhmed) March 18, 2025
Al-Shabaab, linked to al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency in Somalia for over 15 years. Despite losing control of Mogadishu in 2011, the group continues deadly attacks. Last week, militants stormed a hotel in central Somalia, killing nine people.
In response to the bombing, Somali security forces initiated counterterrorism operations throughout Mogadishu. Authorities are also set to implement heightened security measures to safeguard the capital from further attacks.
