Suicide bombing kills civilian outside Turkish base in Somalia

MOGADISHU

Two people, including a suicide bomber were killed and one person wounded on June 23 morning after an attack outside Turkey's largest overseas military base in the Somali capital Mogadishu, according to a statement by Turkey's Defense Ministry. 

Somali government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo told Anadolu Agency that security guards shot the bomber who was trying to enter the military facility.

"He pretended to be a trainee at the Turkey-Somali military academy but was shot and exploded outside the camp, killing himself and two civilians," Oronjo said.

He added that no Somali soldiers or Turkish nationals were killed or injured in the attack.

Turkey’s National Defense Ministry condemned the attack.

“We severely curse the terrorist group which carried out this bloody attack, and its supporters, and express our condolences and get-well-soon wishes to the people of Somalia,” the ministry said on Twitter.

“We will not forsake our Somali brothers in their fight against terrorist organizations.”

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Shabaab militants have been known to conduct attacks in the East African country.

Turkey's military training facility was built in 2017 in the Somali capital Mogadishu. It provides training to Somali security forces.