African Union peacekeepers hit by explosion in Somali capital

MOGADISHU, Somalia

An African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) convoy was hit by explosion in the capital Mogadishu on Monday, with no word yet on possible casualties.

Osman Ahmed, a security officer in Mogadishu, told Anadolu over the phone that the convoy was hit near Somalia’s Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in the capital.

“They were targeted while traveling between the KM4 and KM5 intersections in Mogadishu. We suspect the attack was a landmine explosion planted near the road and an investigation is underway,” he said.

He added that the African Union troops in the convoy had been conducting their daily routines in Mogadishu at the time of the attack.

“We don’t know how many were killed because the AU troops cut off the road from the rest of the capital after the explosion,” he added.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for recent attacks in the Horn of Africa country.

The group has been fighting against the Somali government and the African Union mission since 2007.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the terror groups al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS being the main threats.

The African Union mission is supposed to transition Somali from peacekeeping troops to domestic forces taking full responsibility for security, with its mandate due to expire at the end of 2024.