Ahmed Salem
A large fire broke out on Tuesday in Bakara Market, the largest commercial market in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, sending flames and thick columns of smoke into the air, covering large parts of the city.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing thick plumes of smoke from various areas in Mogadishu, while the causes of the fire and the extent of human and material losses resulting from it are still unclear.
As of the time of this report, the relevant authorities have not issued any official statement regarding the circumstances of the fire or the efforts made to control it.
Attack on a government forces base in the city of Marka
Marka, the capital of the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, witnessed a new security escalation after a government forces base was targeted by an explosion, in an attack claimed by Al-Shabaab. The incident comes at a time when Somali authorities are continuing their military operations against the movement, amid ongoing security challenges in a number of areas where the organization is highly active.
The al-Shabaab movement claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the explosion targeted a security site where Somali government forces were stationed inside the city of Marka.
Somali authorities have not yet released official information on the number of victims or the extent of the damage caused by the explosion.
The attack comes amid ongoing military and security operations against the al-Shabaab movement in the Lower Shabelle region, which remains one of the movement's main areas of activity, despite the ongoing security campaigns against it.
Over the past few months, the movement has carried out several attacks targeting military bases, checkpoints, and security convoys in the region, using improvised explosive devices and attacks.
In a separate development, local sources reported that al-Shabaab militants launched a night attack targeting an Ethiopian military base in Garobhari, the administrative capital of the Gedo region in southwestern Somalia.
According to eyewitnesses, heavy gunfire and explosions were heard near the military camp during the attack. Neither the Ethiopian nor the Somali authorities have yet issued an official statement regarding the incident, and the extent of casualties or damage has not been independently verified.
The attack comes amid continued activity by the al-Shabaab movement in the Gedo region, which is of strategic importance due to its border location with Ethiopia and Kenya, where the movement has previously carried out attacks targeting Somali, Ethiopian and regional forces deployed in the area.
In recent years, the city of Gurbaharey and the surrounding areas have witnessed similar attacks targeting military sites and checkpoints used by Ethiopian and Somali forces, indicating the movement’s continued ability to carry out security operations despite ongoing military campaigns against it.
