Kenyan fighter jets were reported to have struck a Hormuud Telecom station in Saakow, Somalia’s Middle Jubba area, on Monday.
The raid follows earlier Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) attacks on Hormuud towers in Jubbaland.
The telecommunications firm has yet to publish a statement about the incident. Hormuud Telecom is one of Somalia’s main telecommunications carriers and has previously been targeted by various armed factions owing to its suspected links to the Somali government.
The incident occurred in the Middle Jubba region, which has seen continuing violence between multiple armed factions, including the insurgent group Al-Shabaab and troops associated with the Somali government. In recent months, the region has also seen an upsurge in attacks on residents and relief workers.
The attack on Hormuud Telecom is anticipated to have a large impact on the local populace, as many people rely on the company’s services for communication and information access. It is unclear whether the attack caused any casualties, although it did damage the electronics and structure.
Concerns have been voiced concerning the rising violence in Somalia, as well as the impact on people caught in the crossfire.
Efforts to address the conflict’s fundamental causes, including as political instability, poverty, and a lack of competent government, are ongoing. However, due to the complexity of the fight and the involvement of many armed organisations, progress has been slow.