Somalia Marks Nine Years since Deadly October 14 Mogadishu Bombing

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has commemorated the ninth anniversary of the October 14, 2017, truck bombing in Mogadishu, one of the deadliest attacks in the country’s history, as officials and residents gathered to honour the hundreds of people killed.

Speaker of the House of the People Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur Jama attended a remembrance ceremony at Soobe Junction on Wednesday, the site of the devastating explosion that left hundreds dead and many others injured.

Addressing the gathering, the speaker described October 14 as a day of national grief whose memory would remain deeply rooted in the hearts of the Somali people.

He said the tragedy was a painful reminder of the suffering inflicted on innocent civilians by terrorism and stressed the importance of remembering those who lost their lives.

The October 14, 2017, bombing occurred when a truck packed with explosives detonated at the busy Soobe intersection in the Somali capital, destroying buildings and vehicles and causing widespread devastation.

More than 500 people were killed, according to figures commonly cited by Somali authorities, while hundreds of others were injured. The attack remains the deadliest single bombing in Somalia’s history.

Although no group formally claimed responsibility, Somali authorities blamed Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that has carried out numerous attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.

The scale of the tragedy prompted widespread mourning across Somalia and among Somali communities abroad, while drawing international condemnation and emergency medical assistance for victims.

Nine years later, the bombing remains a defining moment in Somalia’s struggle against militant violence, with October 14 serving as an annual occasion to remember the victims and reflect on the continuing impact of insecurity on civilians.

During the commemoration, Speaker Jama offered prayers for those killed and expressed condolences to their families, calling for the memory of the victims to remain part of the country’s collective remembrance.

The anniversary comes as Somali government forces continue military operations against Al-Shabaab in parts of southern and central Somalia, while authorities work to prevent further attacks on civilian populations.