(Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP Photo)
al-Shabaab Sends Woman Terrorist
A young female suicide bomber killed six people in Mogadishu on Wednesday. She was a member of the al-Shabaab terrorist group. Carrying a Police ID the woman entered the Somali National Theater and quickly detonated the bomb she was wearing. Six people were killed, including two of the country’s leading sports officials.
Said Mohamed Mugambe, head of the Somali football federation, and Somali Olympic committee chief Adan Hagi Yabarow were both killed instantly.
The woman had been seated under a tree outside the theater. When the voice of the Somali Prime Minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, began to boom over the loudspeakers she quickly jumped to her feet and approached the entrance. She was confronted by police who denied her entry. Special security officials of the PM standing near by overruled the police and directed them to allow the woman to enter because she was in possession of the Police ID.
The Al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack. It was clear that their main target was the Prime Minister. He escaped without injury. The killing of the prominent sports officials was a severe blow to a government that has been desperately attempting to regain some semblance of peace and credibility before the world. The new National Theater being the venue of the attack gave al-Shabaab the opportunity to destroy a symbol of the government’s progress.
The Prime minister told reporters that, “The suicide bomber was a young, slim lady with plaited hair. She wore a veil and carried a police identity card.” Though not a new tactic, the use of a female suicide bomber shows how determined al-Shabaab is to thwart the government. The terrorists had been driven out of the capital, Mogadishu, three months ago, yet they had continued with intermittent attack in the city. This new incident may signal a renewed campaign by the jihadists.
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