Somalia's president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is going to announce a "State Of War" against the extremist group al-Shabab. They were responsible for the twin truck bomb explosions in a crowded place in the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, Fox News reported. The tragedy took place on October 14, and at least 358 people died as a result of the incident. Hundreds of locals are still missing.
What Somalia's government is planning to do
Al-Shabab is a jihadist fundamentalist organization, connected with the militant Islamist extremist group Al-Qaeda. The latest attack was not the first one, as the group has committed terrorist acts in the crowded places of Mogadishu for around a decade. The Saturday incident was the heaviest and the deadliest in Somalia history. Al-Shabab gave no comments regarding the attack.
The US has been supporting Somalia in the fight against extremists and providing it with military counterterrorism operations, the Daily Mail reported. Somalia's president is planning to launch the new offensive on October 21, according to a local military official.
The US is believed to play a supporting role in its preparation.
Capt. Abdullahi Iman explained the scale of the offensive. He said that thousands of militants would reach al-Shabab fighters' strongholds and battle them in the Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle regions. The troops would also fight from Somali and African Union bases.
The bomb weights were about 1,300 pounds and 1,700 pounds respectively, according to the officials. The information minister of Somalia, Abdirahman Osman claimed that 56 people were still missing, 228 were injured, and 122 had been taken to Turkey, Sudan, and Kenya for medically necessary treatment.
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said that the attacks took place in the area of Somalia's foreign ministry and the international airport.
Many embassies of various countries are situated there.
The US aims to help Somalia
The US military forces announced that its fight against the Somalia's extremists started with a drone strike. President Donald Trump announced that the US would take part in expanded operations against al-Shabab. In 2017, the US has committed 19 drone strikes in Somalia.
According to a Pentagon spokesman, there are around 400 American troops in Somalia. In Spring, the US sent regular troops to Somalia for logistics training of the local army.