January 2021 Somalia bombings
Part of Somali Civil War (2009-present)
Location	Bal'ad, Dinsoor, and near Mogadishu, Somalia
Date	January 27, 2021
Target	Somali National Army soldiers, civilians
Deaths	18 15 SNA soldiers 2 civilians killed 1 Burundian AMISOM peacekeeper killed
Injured	7 5+ in Dinsoor 2 near Mogadishu Unknown number injured in Bal'ad
Perpetrator	al-Shabaab

On January 27, 2021, al-Shabaab launched multiple attacks on civilian and military sites across Somalia, killing sixteen people and injuring several more. The deadliest attack was an ambush by al-Shabaab on a Somali and AMISOM convoy in Bal'ad, which killed 14 people.

Contents

• Background
• Attacks
• References

Background

Al-Shabaab, a jihadist group that has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2009, began an offensive against Somali National Army forces in Middle Shabelle on January 23. The fighting began with al-Shabaab's capture of the village of Rage-Ceele. Al-Shabaab then began deploying fighters around Somali-controlled cities including Jowhar and Bal'ad. ^[1]

Attacks

The attacks on January 27 were all coordinated by al-Shabaab. ^[2] The first attack began in Dinsoor, Bay region, at a restaurant while security forces and civilians were dining in the morning. ^[3] One soldier was killed in the attack and at least five others were wounded. ^[2] A roadside bomb also injured two construction workers near Mogadishu. ^[2] Near Bal'ad, a joint Somali and Burundian AMISOM convoy was bombed by al-Shabaab militants, killing an unknown number of people. ^[2] The bombing sparked clashes between the Somali-Burundian forces and al-Shabaab. ^[2] Somali reinforcements from Jowhar were also ambushed along the way to the bombing site. ^[2] Fifteen people were killed in the bombing at Bal'ad, including twelve Somali soldiers, two civilians, and one Burundian peacekeeper. ^[2] An unknown number of soldiers and peacekeepers were wounded and transported to a hospital in Jowhar. ^[2]

References