Beletweyne Intelligence Chief killed in Halgan suicide bomb attack

GOOBJOOG NEWS|HIRAN: Jamal Ahmed Jama, the CID chief of the Beletweyne Police Station, is confirmed to have been killed in Monday’s bomb explosion that took place in Halgan, a town in central Somalia’s Hiiraan region.

Two pro-government militia soldiers are also reported to have been injured in the attack that is believed to have targeted a government military base in Halgan town.

According to police authorities, the suicide bomber’s mission was aborted after Ma’awisley forces stationed at a checkpoint in Halgan sprayed bullets at the terrorist, forcing him to detonate the explosives before reaching his main target, averting a possible large-scale catastrophe. 

Al-Shabaab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it had on Sunday night launched mortar attacks on Somali and Ethiopian army bases in the town of Mahas.

Monday’s attack came barely a day after at least 30 other people were killed following an Al-Shabaab triple suicide bomb attack, which took place in Hiiraan’s Buluburte and Jalalaqsi districts.