Deadly Suicide Bombing That Claimed Over Thirty Soldiers At Jallesiad Military Training Academy.

A Suicide bomber kills at least 30 soldiers in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. It was early Monday morning when deafening sound of explosion was heard in Mogadishu. The sound of the explosion was soon followed by black clouds of smoldering smoke pillowing in the air. And multiple fatalities have been reported after Suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at Mogadishu Jaale Siad Military academy as credible and reliable sources substantiated.

The suicide bomber disguised as a soldier and entered the training facility with a false identity and targeted military personnel as they were lined up in long queues after breakfast, while other reports said the suicide bomber who carried out the attack was one of the military recruits.

Two Somali military officers who asked not to be identified as they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media told ModernGhana on the phone that at least 30 soldiers were killed and more than 70 others were critically injured in the attack according to one of the officers, 24 of them have sustained life-threatening injuries he confirmed.

Alshabab insurgents group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement Via Telegram Messenger the group claimed that one of its suicide bomber targeted and detonated three brigades of troops who were lining up in their morning parade, Alshabab also claimed the suicide bombing killed 73 soldiers and injured 124 others, a figure that has not been independently verified.

The bomber was wearing a military uniform, according to the officer, it is not clear how the bomber gained a full access to the one of most secure military base in the capital.

The soldiers who were targeted belong to the 14th October brigade established by a former president Mohamed Farmajo in the commemoration for the victims of the brutal,single deadliest suicide bombing in Africa at Mogadishu's Zobe busiest intersection which killed nearly 600 people on October 14, 2017.

Somali troops and local fighters have been conducting massive military offensives against Alshabab since August, Somali government vowed to continue the operation into the second phase to further sabotage and deracinate the group from more territories.

The insurgent group has been carrying out retaliatory attack against government institutions, public officials as well as civilian sites.

Joint military offensives launched by government forces and allied militiamen last year has coerced the AlQaeda-affiliated group to withdrew a large swathes of territories in Southern and Central Somalia, but the insurgents still pose a grave security threat in the region and continue to stage deadly raids.

The victims hailed from the Lower Shabelle region and were controversially transferred to Jaale Siad Military training Academy for further training. Alshabab has been waging a brutal, deadly and full-blown war against the federal government since 2006 to dislodge and usurp the Somalia's Central government and to establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Soon, the Somali government is set to declare and launch the second phase of the military operation, the first phase occurred in Hirshabelle and Galmudug States and the federal government and its allied forces have achieved significant military victory and liberated a large swathe of territories.and second phase is set to cover Jubbaland and South-West States.

Already, the government of Somalia has proposed the addition of troops from neighbouring states of Kenya,Ethopia and Djibouti with the contingents set to join the Somali national army (SNA) The African union transition mission in Somalia [ATMIS] And US Africa command.

A few month ago, the Alshabab insurgents launched a pre-dawn onslaught and killed at least 54 Uganda people's Defense forces (UPDF) Working in ATMIS, the most brutal attacks in recent years, a week ago Alshabab imposed a week-long blockade in Baidoba town, the regional Administrative capital of Southwest Sate.

Convoy of trucks carrying consignments of essential food were seen stranded on the roads leading to Baidoba and the siege had an adverse impact to the business and cause the prices of the commodities to soar sharply.

Alshabab had lifted the blockade after their demands were met, but the Spokesman of Southwest Sate has diametrically refuted this claim.

The speaker of Somalia’s federal parliament and acting president Sheikh Aden Madobe has vehemently denounced the suicide attack at Jaale Siad Military academy and extend condolences to the victims of the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery for those sustained with the critical injuries. And also authorized the law enforcement agencies to conduct an independent inquiry and find out those facilitated such brutal attack which resulted apocalyptic ramifications.

MOHAMED HUSSEIN MENTALIST. Journalist, researcher and senior lecturer based in Mogadishu.