Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 30 Soldiers in Somalia

On Monday, a suicide bomber carried out an attack at a military academy in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 30 soldiers and injuring dozens more. 

Last year, a military campaign led by government forces and allied armed groups forced al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked movement, to retreat from significant territories in southern Somalia. 

However, the militant group continued to launch deadly attacks, resulting in casualties.

In recent weeks, al-Shabaab intensified its assaults while the military campaign temporarily ceased for preparations for a second phase of the offensive.

In late May, the group killed 54 Ugandan peacekeepers at a base south of Mogadishu and besieged the city of Beledweyne, one of Somalia's largest cities, for nearly two weeks. They also carried out a series of attacks in Mogadishu earlier this month.

The attack on Monday targeted the Gali Siyad Military Academy.

Army Major Abdullah, who requested anonymity, stated, "We have confirmed that 30 soldiers were killed and 73 others were injured in the explosion that occurred at the training camp." A second military source confirmed the same death toll.

Captain Ali Farah reported that the victims, some of whom were identified, came from the Lower Shabelle region and had come to the capital for training. He mentioned that there have been 10 confirmed deaths so far.

According to Farah, the soldiers were lining up and counting their numbers when the suicide bomber detonated himself.

In a statement, al-Shabaab claimed that the suicide bomber killed 73 soldiers and injured 124 others. The group's reported casualty figures often surpass those declared by authorities.

Since 2006, al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow the central government and establish its rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law.