October 2017 Mogadishu bombings — deadliest terrorist attack in the history of Somalia and Africa
The October 2017 Mogadishu truck bombings killed at least 587 people, making them the deadliest terrorist attack in Somali history and Africa's deadliest bombing.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- At least 587 people
- Injured
- 316 people
- Attack method
- Two truck bombings
- Primary blast location
- Hodan District, Mogadishu
- Previous deadliest attack in Somalia
- 2011 Mogadishu bombing (100 killed)
- Period of mourning declared
- 3 days
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group active in Somalia, is believed to have orchestrated the attack. The intended target was reportedly a secure compound housing international agencies and troops in Mogadishu, though no organisation formally claimed responsibility. A key member of the cell later informed officials of al-Shabaab's involvement.
On 14 October 2017, a truck bomb detonated in the Hodan District of Mogadishu after the driver crashed through a barrier while fleeing security forces, destroying a hotel and killing the vast majority of the 587 victims. A second explosion nearby killed two more people, while police intercepted a third explosives-laden truck before it could detonate.
The bombings became the deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia's history and Africa's deadliest bombing, surpassing the 2011 Mogadishu attack that killed 100 people. Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed declared three days of national mourning, and the attack drew widespread international condemnation and renewed focus on al-Shabaab's capacity for mass-casualty attacks.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent