2024 Mogadishu Tea Shop Bombing

On August 17, 2024, at approximately 2:15pm local time, an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the militant group Al-Shabaab detonated inside a tea shop in the Daynile District of northwest Mogadishu, Somalia. The explosion killed 20 people and seriously injured another 10. According to reporting, the death toll was expected to potentially rise given the severity of injuries sustained by survivors.

The tea shop was described as busy at the time of the attack, and among the victims were local residents as well as members of Somali security forces who regularly frequented the establishment. A police officer, identified as Mohamud Ahmed, told the Anadolu Agency that the explosion occurred at a tea shop in the Daynile district and that the device had been placed inside the shop itself.

This bombing occurred against a backdrop of heightened security concerns in Mogadishu. United Nations security advisories had warned staff in the region about the potential for terrorist attacks, advising personnel to avoid public events and government offices. This warning followed closely on the heels of a separate Al-Shabaab attack on the Beach View hotel at Lido Beach in Mogadishu, in which more than 44 people were killed. The tea shop bombing was reported to be Al-Shabaab's second-largest attack in Mogadishu during the month of August 2024, following the Lido Beach hotel attack.

Al-Shabaab, despite having been pushed out of Mogadishu in prior years, continues to control certain regions in southern Somalia and has continued to carry out attacks targeting government buildings and locations associated with Western culture, including hotels and restaurants.

In the aftermath of the bombing, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued condolences to the victims' families and to the Federal Government of Somalia. Egypt's statement also extended wishes for a quick recovery to those injured in the attack and expressed full support for Somalia's efforts in fighting terrorism and working toward security and stability for the Somali people.

This attack followed a similar bombing that had occurred at a Mogadishu tea shop in 2023, though the two incidents are documented separately.

No individuals have been publicly named as charged or convicted in connection with this specific attack based on currently available reporting.