On 14 October 2017, two truck bombings took place in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, killing at least 587 people and injuring 316 others.

[1] Almost all of the casualties were caused by one of the trucks which detonated when the driver, while attempting to escape from security officials, crashed through a barrier and exploded in the Hodan District, destroying a hotel.

[10] In 2017, Somalia was continuing to suffer its worst drought in 40 years, with climatic catastrophe compounded by war and poor governance.

Al-Shabaab banned humanitarian assistance in areas that it controlled, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to choose between starvation or brutal punishment.

[4] The bombings occurred amidst deep public discontent and political divisions between federal and regional leaders.

[4] On 14 October 2017, a large truck filled with explosives was detonated at a busy crossroads near the Safari Hotel in the Hodan District, at least a kilometre from the Medina Gate.

[12][3] The effect of the bombing was compounded by a fuel tanker parked nearby that caused a massive fireball.

The soldiers ordered the driver to park and exit the vehicle, and the assailant called a well-known man who vouched for the truck.

[3] Officials said that the target of the attacks was the heavily guarded Mogadishu airport compound, where the United Nations, most embassies and the headquarters of the 22,000-strong AMISOM are based.

The minivan was to blast open the Medina Gate entrance to the compound to allow the truck with more explosives to enter and detonate.

Victims included senior civil servants, five paramedic volunteers, a journalist, an American-Somali man, a medical student and 15 children.

[18] The full death total may never be known with certainty, as the remains of many people would not be found because of the effects of the intense heat (which could be felt 100 metres away from the scene)[4] and others were buried quickly by relatives following Islamic custom.