An EUTM Somalia vehicle attacked with explosives. Three Wounded (v3)
(B2) An explosive device attack on Monday (30 September) targeted an Italian vehicle of EUTM Somalia. No injuries were reported at first indicated the Italian staff. At least at first...
An attack on the way back
Late morning, around 11:15 a.m. local time, “two Lynx (Lince in Italian) light multi-purpose tactical vehicles belonging to a convoy of three Italian vehicles were involved in an explosion while returning from a training activity carried out in favor of the Somali security forces » indicates the Italian general staff in a communicated on monday. They were returning from Villa Gashandigha, the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense and the headquarters of the Somali National Army. And to add: At the moment there are no consequences for Italian staff. The causes of the explosion are being assessed. » Two vehicles were damaged.
« No EUTM soldiers were injured in the explosion we confirm from the side of the EUTM mission. The staff " did not fire any shots during this incident ».
A ram vehicle packed with explosives
At the Farnesina, we seem more pessimistic. " I am very worried by the explosion caused on the passage of Italian EUTM soldiers in Somalia declared the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emanuela Del Re. Ditto when listening to a witness. « A vehicle loaded with explosives was thrown at one of the convoy vehicles along the industrial road. And there were casualties “, declared Omar Abikar, a Somalian security agent, quoted by AFP (1). On the same day, a US special forces base in Baledogle was hit by a bomb attack followed by small arms fire, according to Reuters. Both attacks were claimed by Al Shabab.
Three wounded: two soldiers and a rifleman
(Updated) In fact, three men were injured: two soldiers and a rifleman who were repatriated to Italy. But without affecting their lives. It's the Italian Secretary of State for Defense Angelo Tofalo who spilled the beans, writing on his Facebook profile. I have " met our three boys at the military hospital in Celio [....] involved in the attack on Mogadishu » as the site says OFCS report. " Fortunately, they will be released in the next few days. I took them in my arms and thanked them for their great work »
Default European Confirmation
Asked by B2, a European diplomat confirmed that: “ There were no serious injuries in this incident. This confirms, in itself, that there were indeed three wounded, contrary to what the Italian staff had affirmed such as the EUTM Somalia mission. According to the balance sheet updated by B2
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
Completed and updated with injury toll on 11 and 13 November
