A car bomb explosion near a popular market in the Bulo Burde region of central Somalia claimed the lives of 5 civilians and left 13 others injured on Thursday.
According to police officer Abdullah Hassan, "5 civilians were killed, and 13 others were wounded when the car exploded on one of the streets near the market."
This attack, which has not been claimed by any group, comes just a week after the Somali government acknowledged suffering "significant setbacks" in its offensive against the extremist group Al-Shabaab.
The internationally backed government has been fighting the Al-Shabaab movement, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, for over 15 years.
This incident follows a suicide truck bomb attack on Saturday in Baladweyne that resulted in 21 deaths, dozens of injuries, and the destruction of several buildings.
On Thursday, Somali security forces reported that they had foiled two car bomb attacks targeting the town of Tuus Mareeb in central Somalia.
Local police officer Mohamed Yari stated, "Security forces intercepted the cars before Tuus Mareeb, killing one soldier and injuring two others."
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, who was elected in May 2022, pledged a "comprehensive war" against Al-Shabaab.
For over a year, government forces, supported by local tribal militias and backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and US airstrikes, have conducted a military offensive in central Somalia.
AMISOM is set to withdraw by the end of 2024, but the Somali government is seeking an extension, as indicated in a message sent to the United Nations.
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