For more than a decade, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been the most lethal weapons used by militants in Somalia, causing heavy losses among both soldiers and civilians.
According to data from Action on Armed Violence, a UK-based organization that monitors global armed violence, over 14,000 individuals have been killed or injured by IEDs planted by Al-shabab since 2014, with civilians accounting for 61% of the casualties.
Just last year, more than 1,500 Somalis—mostly civilians—were either killed or wounded by IED attacks. Recent incidents include bombings of a Mogadishu café in July, a tea shop in central Somalia in August, and an attack on September 27 that claimed six lives and injured ten more in Mogadishu and the Middle Shabelle region.
Many IED attacks have targeted civilian areas like restaurants, hotels, and military posts frequented by Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers. As the SNA continues its efforts to retake territory from Al-shabab, the group has escalated its bombing campaign in response, resulting in the deaths or injuries of over 820 SNA soldiers in 2023 alone.
SNA Colonel Faisal Ali Noor highlighted the dangers faced by soldiers in responding to these threats, sharing that soldiers have sometimes been injured by secondary IEDs while attempting to clear the initial explosives.
To combat this growing threat, the SNA has been receiving assistance from the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), which has helped train 46 Somali bomb disposal teams. Recently, a new “train the trainer” initiative was launched to further expand the SNA’s ability to counter IED threats.
Despite these efforts, the use of homemade explosives continues to rise, with components being smuggled into Somalia through ports or from neighboring Yemen. As Somalia builds its team of disposal experts, SNA forces remain at risk as they continue to push back against Al-shabab militants.
Lt. Col. Mohamed Mohamud Awale summed up the challenges facing the army, stating, “We encounter numerous dangers, including enemy blockades and remote-controlled IEDs. We have lost many comrades.”
