Somalia: head of the defense forces survived Shebabs attack against his convoy

Shebabs carried out an attack against the head of the Somali Defense Forces, General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, in Mogadishu, where his convoy was targeted by a suicide car bomb attack.

The general, who is known for his relentless fight against the Islamists, escaped unharmed. The operation failed but the explosion killed between one and five people.

General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh’s convoy had just left the Ministry of Defense. The escort spotted a vehicle approaching at high speed. The military fired. Although he was able to set off his bomb, the driver was killed before his car hit the convoy.

If shebabs regularly target the army, this would be the first attack against an officer of such a high rank in several years. It must be said that General Rageh is a target of choice, by his rank but also by his reputation. At only 33 years of age, he is the youngest head of the Somali Defense Force in Somali history.

Appointed last August, he is portrayed as a fierce fighter against terrorists.
Odowaa Yusuf Rageh joined the army in 2005 and quickly rose through the ranks, earning a master’s degree and undergoing training in Uganda and then Turkey, learning how to lead troops, among other things. He has led his men into combat in the field several times. He was also a member of the presidential guard.

Two years ago, he became Assistant Chief of Staff when he was barely 30 years old, under the nose of more experienced officers. That he survived an attack should build his legend a little more.