On January 22, 2023, Al-Shabaab attacked Mogadishu City Hall, located in a protected government compound in Somalia’s capital city. The attack commenced with a PBIED initiated against a metal side entrance door in the wall of the compound, to enable the Inghimasi (raid and infiltration fighters) to gain access and attack the structure.
On June 9, 2023, the group attacked the Pearl Beach Hotel in Mogadishu utilizing the same breaching TTP to insert their forces. Complex attacks incorporating SVBIEDs to breach perimeters are more commonly used by Al-Shabaab. PBIED attacks for this purpose, while rare, are not unheard of in other arenas, mainly in the Middle East. This TTP is less conspicuous than an SVBIED attack, thus increasing the chances of the suicide bomber successfully providing access to the target for a follow-on team of fighters. Furthermore, the logistics for a PBIED operation are less complicated.
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