Al-Shabaab’s tactics in Somalia have evolved since the devastating 2017 Mogadishu truck bombing that killed nearly 600 people. While vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIEDs) remain a threat, the militant group has increasingly turned to person-borne IEDs (PBIEDs), often in the form of suicide vests. These smaller, more discreet devices require fewer resources and can be smuggled past checkpoints more easily than VBIEDs, making them effective in crowded urban environments. Since March 2021, more than ten PBIED attacks have occurred across Somalia, seven of them in Mogadishu. Many of these attacks target Somali National Army (SNA) personnel at tea shops during breakfast or afternoon khat sessions, when groups of security forces gather and are more vulnerable. High-profile incidents include the June 2021 bombing at the General Dhagabadan Training School that killed over 20 recruits, and the May 2021 Waberi Police Station attack that claimed senior police officials’ lives.