Mogadishu(Mogadishu24)-Al-Shabaab militants detonated bombs at two major markets, Safe and Marwa, in Ceelasha-biyaha, located about 20 kilometers south of Mogadishu, causing extensive property damage.
The Governor of the Lower Shabelle region, Mohamed Ibrahim Barre, confirmed the attack in a Facebook post, expressing solidarity with the affected traders.
"The group destroyed the markets with bomb explosions, causing a tragic loss of properties," Barre stated, though he did not specify the extent of the damage. He ordered security forces to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.
Somali security and police forces were deployed to the site on Sunday morning, but no further details have been released. Reports suggest that Al-Shabaab targeted the markets in retaliation against businesspeople who complied with a government order to install CCTV cameras on their premises.
This attack comes less than a week after Al-Shabaab carried out two deadly assaults on security checkpoints in Garasbaley and Ceelasha, claiming the lives of 28 soldiers and injuring 51 others. The situation remains tense as authorities work to assess the damage and prevent further attacks.