By Hanad Abdi - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 14 October 2026 — A conference on countering extremist ideology opened in Mogadishu on Wednesday, on the ninth anniversary of the Zoobe bombing.
Organised by the Tubsan National Centre, the conference runs on October 14-15.
The opening commemorated those killed in the October 14, 2017 bombing and those left with injuries and grief. A truck packed with explosives detonated at the busy junction, killing hundreds and injuring hundreds more, in the deadliest attack in Somalia’s history.
Tubsan Director-General Ali Yasin Gurbe said remembering the victims was central to the conference’s purpose.
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“The overall purpose of the conference is to remember the Somali people harmed by the Khawarij,” he said, using the government’s term for Al-Shabaab.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said: “Today, we honour the victims, refusing to forget.”
Parliament has designated October 14 as a national day of remembrance for victims of terrorism.
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