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Straits Times
02-07-2025
- Straits Times
Ugandan military helicopter crashes at Somalia's Mogadishu airport
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Smoke rises in the direction of Aden Adde airport following an African Union helicopter crash, in Mogadishu, Somalia, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar MOGADISHU - A Ugandan military helicopter deployed with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at Mogadishu airport on Wednesday, a Ugandan military spokesperson told Reuters. Three of the helicopter's eight occupants survived the incident, said the spokesperson, Felix Kulayigye, though he did not provide details on the fate of the other five people. There was a fire at the crash site, which emergency responders were trying to extinguish, he said. The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said in a statement that "search and rescue operations are currently underway to retrieve the remaining crew and passengers." The helicopter crash landed at Mogadishu's international airport just before touching down, AUSSOM said. Earlier on Wednesday, Somalia's state-run SONNA news outlet reported that the helicopter was engulfed in flames after crashing. "We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter," Farah Abdulle, who works at the airport, told Reuters. "The smoke entirely covered the helicopter." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat Singapore The romance continues: Former 'Singapore girl', 77, returns to Osaka Expo after 55 years Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Singapore Police looking into claim by driver who caused teen's death that he was an NUS student Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home Singapore 3 weeks' jail for man who touched himself on train, flicked bodily fluid on female passenger AUSSOM has more than 11,000 personnel in Somalia to help the country's military tackle Islamist group al Shabaab. The al Qaeda affiliated group has been fighting for nearly two decades to topple Somalia's internationally recognised government and establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Sharia law. REUTERS
GMA Network
18-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Mogadishu suicide bomber kills at least 10 at army recruitment drive
A Somali military officer walk past abandoned shoes at the scene of an explosion targeting a queue of young recruits registering at the Damanyo military base in Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 18, 2025. REUTERS/ Feisal Omar MOGADISHU — At least 10 people were killed on Sunday after a suicide bomber targeted a queue of young recruits registering at the Damanyo military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Reuters. Teenagers were lining up at the base's gate when the attacker detonated their explosives, they said. A military captain who gave his name as Suleiman described the attack as he had seen it unfold. "I was on the other side of the road. A speeding tuk-tuk stopped, a man alighted, ran into the queue, and then blew himself up. I saw 10 people dead, including recruits and passers-by. The death toll may rise," he said. Dozens of abandoned shoes and the remains of the suicide bomber were visible at the scene. Another witness, Abdisalan Mohamed, said he had seen "hundreds of teenagers at the gate as we passed by in a bus." "Abruptly, a deafening blast occurred, and the area was covered by dense smoke. We could not see the details of casualties," he said. Medical staff at the military hospital told Reuters they had received 30 injured people from the blast and that six of them had died immediately. Government forces quickly cordoned off the entire area. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack and government officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The attack echoed a similar incident in 2023 when a suicide bomber killed 25 soldiers at the Jale Siyad base, located opposite the Damanyo facility. Sunday's attack followed the assassination on Saturday of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale, commander of battalion 26, in the Hiiran region, amid local reports of al-Shabaab militant infiltration into government and security forces. — Reuters
Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Seven dead after heavy rain hit Mogadishu on Friday
A Somali man rest on a mattress, after overnight rains caused damage to houses and infrastructure, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar A general view shows a road destroyed after overnight rains caused damage to houses and infrastructure, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar A Somali man looks at the flood waters, after overnight rains caused damage to houses and infrastructure, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Mohamed Said Haille wades through flood waters, after overnight rains caused damage to houses and infrastructure, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar A Somali family wades through flood waters, as they flee after overnight rains destroyed their home last night in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar A Somali man wades through flood waters, after overnight rains caused damage to houses and infrastructure, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia, May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar A Somali family wades through flood waters, as they flee after overnight rains destroyed their home, in Wadajir district of Mogadishu, Somalia May 10, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar MOGADISHU - At least seven people have been killed in two districts of Mogadishu after a flood triggered by severe rainfall swept through the east African nation on Friday night, according to a government official. "We have now confirmed that at least seven people have died, including two women. The rain also collapsed nine houses and filled the houses of 200 families," Saleh Hassan, a spokesperson for the mayor of Mogadishu, said. Some infrastructure in Somalia's capital, including six major roads, was also damaged, hindering movement of people in the capital, according to Hassan. Among the dead was a young boy whose body was recovered from the debris on one of the damaged streets on Saturday. "I was hoping the water would spit him out but all was in vain. This morning, my friends joined me with hammers and spades and we managed to remove his body," local resident Nuradin Mohammed told Reuters on Saturday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Al Shabaab battles Somalia's army for control of strategic military base
FILE PHOTO: Members of Somali special police forces march, after being trained and equipped by the European Union, in a collaboration that aims to enhance safety and strengthen the fight against threat posed by Al-Shabaab militants, at the Halane Training Facility in Mogadishu, Somalia April 14, 2025. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File Photo MOGADISHU - Al Shabaab fighters battled Somali troops and allied forces for control of a strategic army base in central Somalia on Thursday, the government and a military official said, as the al Qaeda-linked militants tried to extend recent gains in the region. Capturing the base in Wargaadhi town in the Middle Shabelle region, which houses soldiers, special forces and clan fighters, would enable al Shabaab to sever an important trunk road between the capital Mogadishu, 200 km (124 miles) to the southwest, and Galmudug State. Al Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 to seize power, said in a statement that its fighters had captured the base and Wargaadhi town, something the government denied was the case. The information ministry said in a statement that government forces had killed more than 40 jihadists after they attempted to attack the base on Thursday morning. However, army officer Hussein Ali told Reuters the militants had taken the town of Wargaadhi after "fierce fighting". "Our forces lost 12 men, mostly (clan fighters). Around 20 al Shabaab fighters were also killed," Ali said. "But finally al Shabaab got more reinforcements and managed to capture the town." He said Somalia's military was struggling to send reinforcements because they would need to use routes passing through areas held by al Shabaab. Two soldiers said the government forces, backed by air strikes, had managed to recapture part of the town by mid-morning. Reuters could not independently verify any of the claims made by either side about the fighting. Last week al Shabaab attacked the town of Adan Yabal, about 245 km (150 miles) north of Mogadishu which the military had been using as an operating base for raids on the group. The attacks are part of an offensive by the group launched last month. Al Shabaab briefly captured villages within 50 km (30 miles) of Mogadishu, raising fears among residents of the capital that the city could be targeted. Somali forces have since recaptured those villages but al Shabaab has continued to advance in the countryside, as the future of international security support to Somalia appears increasingly precarious. A new African Union peacekeeping mission replaced a larger force at the start of the year, but its funding is uncertain, with the United States opposed to a plan to transition to a U.N. financing model. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Puntland offensive deals blow to Islamic State in Somalia
By Feisal Omar BALIDHIDIN, Somalia (Reuters) - Forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region have captured swathes of territory from Islamic State during a weeks-long offensive they hope will draw increased international support, according to officials and Reuters reporters. The advances come against an IS faction that has gained in importance and was the target last week of the first air strikes of U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Before those strikes, Reuters reporters who gained rare access to the village of Balidhidin, which IS controlled for a decade, saw Puntland security forces patrolling and residents circulating on foot near the carcasses of army trucks destroyed in recent fighting. The village is in the middle of the northern Golis Mountains, which are the stronghold of IS in Somalia and were also the site of the U.S. strikes. Villagers said security forces had captured other areas too. Many in Balidhidin had fled the harsh rule of the militants, especially after they killed the district commissioner in 2021. They took refuge in nearby villages and the port city of Bosaso. "There was a lot of fear. We were threatened," said Saido Abdirahman, who had just returned to Balidhidin. "Although we were mothers who were indoors, there was fear which made people flee." IS in Somalia - with an estimated 700 to 1,500 fighters in Puntland's mountains - is much smaller than al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia. But it has become an increasingly important part of its parent organisation's worldwide network in recent years, analysts say. It has been aided, officials and analysts say, by an influx of foreign fighters from the Middle East and other African countries and revenues earned by extorting local businesses. Some media outlets reported last year that its head, Abdulqadir Mumin, had become IS's global leader, citing U.S. officials. IS has not confirmed the move. CALL FOR SUPPORT The U.S. military has carried out periodic air strikes against the group for years and also helped train Puntland's security forces. Mohammed Aided, Puntland's information minister, told Reuters that the region's security forces had captured 250 square kilometres, including 50 bases, from IS since Dec. 31 in the biggest offensive against the group in years. Puntland's military spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the security forces had killed at least 85 IS militants in battles over the past two days, while 17 soldiers also died. Aided said there was no coordination on the operations with the federal government in Mogadishu, which Puntland's government stopped recognising altogether last year, and called for more foreign support. "This is an international war on terror. We request the international community to supply with us experts, hardware, anti-mines, and anti-drone facilities that can jam drones of terrorists. It is a difficult war," Aided said. Matt Bryden, a Somalia analyst and co-founder of the Sahan Research think tank, said the Trump administration, some of whose members have publicly derided the Mogadishu government as weak, might look to boost direct security cooperation with local authorities like Puntland to fight IS and al Shabaab. "There's already a recognition that the federal government of Somalia is no longer really a credible partner in fighting against armed extremist groups," he said. Somalia's presidency and information ministry and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
