Al-Shabaab blows up bridge, cutting off Qoryoley town on 2 September 2015

On 2 September 2015, Goobjoog News reported that Al-Shabaab fighters had blown up the bridge connecting Qoryoley town, leaving residents cut off on both sides of the Shabelle River. The report, based on statements from Qoryoley district commissioner Mohamed Haji, described the destruction as occurring on a Tuesday morning. It provides no information about what has happened to the bridge since that date.

Qoryoley is split across the two banks of the Shabelle. According to the commissioner, the explosion brought down parts of the bridge and a whole segment at its western end collapsed, which "cordoned off the movement leading the other parts of the town to be impasse." The river was full, further impeding the movement of people and vehicles, he said.

The commissioner told Goobjoog News that the militants used a donkey cart loaded with explosives. He said business in the town halted because traders and customers live on both sides. The article also reported, without separate attribution, that Al-Shabaab had blown up two bridges, in Qoryoley and Janaale, which connected AMISOM military bases to outside reinforcement. The focus of the article is the Qoryoley bridge.

Goobjoog News' account rests on the commissioner's statements and has not been independently verified. The article does not name the bridge, state its construction date, cost, or ownership, or mention any casualties. It gives no information about repair plans, a timeline for reconstruction, or any official response from AMISOM or the Somali government.

As of the article's publication date, residents remained cut off, but there have been no subsequent reports to indicate whether the bridge has been rebuilt, repaired, or is still down. The situation may have changed since 2015, but no evidence is currently available.