In a recent attack, al Shabaab militants detonated a car bomb at a restaurant in Mogadishu where soccer fans were watching the Euro 2024 final, killing five people.
“We are risking our lives,” said Ahmed, a member of the police Explosive Ordnance Unit. “But we work carefully together, knowing we are saving lives.”
Ahmed’s unit also tackles the challenge of dealing with an estimated one million mines and unexploded ordnance from Somalia’s three decades of civil war.
These explosives have caused over 1,700 casualties, according to the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Hussain Ahmed, a dog trainer for the bomb squad, faces stigma due to Islamic views on dogs being unclean.
“If people refuse to shake hands or greet us, we remain indifferent,” he said. “Despite their impurity, dogs help prevent deadly explosions and save thousands of lives.”