The Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic extremist group launched the attack in Hishabelle state, which is located in central Somalia. The food trucks that were targeted were transporting supplies from Baladweyne city to Mahas town.  

The attack came just a few days after the terrorist group launched an attack in Mogadish that left 21 dead.  

The extremist group has been waging an insurgency against Somalia’s central government for more than a decade, and the violence has ramped up over the summer. Their ultimate goal is to make the region an Islamic caliphate governed by their own hyper-strict interpretation of Sharia law.