Suicide bomber in Somalia’s capital kills at least 13 soldiers

A suicide bomber killed at least 13 soldiers and wounded at least 20 more inside a military academy in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Monday, a soldier who saw the bodies said, in an attack claimed by the al Shabaab militant group.

A military campaign launched by government forces and allied militiamen last year has forced the al Qaeda-linked group from large swathes of territory in southern Somalia, but the militants have continued to stage deadly raids.

In recent weeks, with the military campaign against them stalled as the army prepares a second phase of the offensive, al Shabaab fighters have stepped up their attacks.

In late May, they killed at least 54 Ugandan peacekeepers at a base south of Mogadishu. For nearly two weeks, they laid siege to Baidoa, one of the country’s largest cities. And they have staged a series of raids in Mogadishu this month.

The bombing on Monday targeted the Jale Siyaad military academy. A soldier at Mogadishu’s military hospital who gave his name only as Ahmed said he had the bodies of 13 soldiers who were killed and 20 more who were wounded in the blast.

via Reuters