22 July 2019 Mogadishu Bombing

On 22 July 2019, a vehicle laden with explosives detonated at a checkpoint on the road leading to Aden Adde International Airport, near the Afrin Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia. According to reporting, at least 18 people were killed in the blast, with other accounts citing 17 fatalities from the explosion itself. Dozens of additional people were injured, with 17 of the injured described as being in critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene stated that the force of the explosion knocked them off their feet and caused damage to numerous surrounding buildings, underscoring the severity of the blast in a busy area of the Somali capital.

Al-Shabaab, the militant group active in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The bombing occurred in a period of heightened violence in Mogadishu. Two days after this attack, a separate incident killed the Mayor of Mogadishu and six other people. Together, the two attacks drew shock and strong condemnation from multiple countries.