A suspected suicide bomber has been killed and another person injured following an explosion near the Mogadishu Barracks in the Federal Capital Territory in the early hours of Monday.
The blast, which occurred between 12:00 AM and 1:30 AM, triggered panic in the area due to its proximity to a key military installation. Eyewitnesses say the explosion was caused by a device concealed in a rubber container.
A military source at the scene, who spoke to AIT under anonymity, confirmed that the deceased is believed to have been carrying the explosive. While initial fears pointed to an improvised explosive device (IED), security operatives are also investigating the possibility that the bomb was triggered by a mobile phone.
A coordinated emergency response team comprising the military, Department of State Services (DSS), police, and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) swiftly arrived at the scene to contain the situation and commence investigations.
In a move that has raised eyebrows, journalists and media personnel were barred from capturing images or videos of the site, limiting public access to direct visual accounts of the incident.
Meanwhile, in a related development, a resident reported witnessing a man and a woman being abducted around the same time. The woman was later found within the estate at dawn, reportedly released by the kidnappers for unknown reasons.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement as investigations continue.
