The Somali National Army (SNA) has provided emergency assistance to civilians injured in a roadside bomb attack carried out by al-Shabaab militants near Ceeldheer district in the Galgaduud region, authorities said on Sunday.
The attack targeted a civilian vehicle transporting passengers who were traveling toward Mogadishu, according to security sources. The explosive device, believed to be a landmine planted along the road, detonated as the vehicle passed through the area, causing multiple casualties, including fatalities and injuries.
Military officials said al-Shabaab fighters planted the explosive in a deliberate attempt to target civilians, a tactic the group has repeatedly used in areas under pressure from government forces.
Units of the Somali National Army stationed in the area responded swiftly, securing the scene and evacuating the wounded. The injured civilians were transported to medical facilities in Mogadishu for urgent treatment.
Witnesses described scenes of panic following the blast, with soldiers providing first aid before arranging emergency evacuation.
The victims were unarmed civilians, many of them travelers, underscoring ongoing concerns about civilian safety along key transport routes in central Somalia.
Ceeldheer and surrounding districts remain contested areas, where al-Shabaab continues to carry out asymmetric attacks despite sustained military pressure from Somali government forces and their allies. Civilian vehicles have increasingly been targeted as the group seeks to undermine public confidence and disrupt movement.
The Somali government has intensified operations against al-Shabaab across central and southern regions, aiming to restore security and reopen vital transport corridors linking regional towns to the capital.
