On Sunday, May 18, 2025, at least 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated explosives among a crowd of youths who were registering to join the military in the Damanyo district of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to Reuters. The attack has been claimed by the terrorist group Al Shabaab.
Witnesses said young men and women were lined up at the entrance of the recruitment center when the attacker, wearing a suicide vest, blew himself up.
A military captain who identified himself as Suleiman described what happened.
“I was on the other side of the road. A tuk-tuk came rushing and stopped. A man got out, ran toward the queue, and then detonated himself. I saw 10 dead, including aspiring recruits and bystanders. The death toll could rise,” he said.
Many shoes were scattered at the scene, along with the remains of the suicide bomber.
Another eyewitness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he saw “hundreds of young people at the gate arriving by bus.”
