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Truck bomb kills scores in Mogadishu Truck bomb kills scores including many students in Mogadishu
(about 8 hours later)
More than 70 dead and dozens injured after morning rush-hour blast in Somali capital At least 79 dead and more than 100 injured after morning rush-hour blast in Somali capital
A truck bomb has exploded in central Mogadishu, killing at least 76 people including many university students, and injuring dozens more in the deadliest attack on the Somali capital for more than two years. A truck bomb has exploded in central Mogadishu, killing at least 79 people including many university students, and injuring more than 100 in the deadliest attack on the Somali capital for more than two years.
The bomber struck during the Saturday morning rush hour, the start of Somalia’s working week. The mayor, Omar Mohamud Mohamed, told reporters at the blast site, that most of those killed were civilians, including two Turkish citizens. The bomber struck during the Saturday morning rush hour, the start of Somalia’s working week. The mayor, Omar Mohamud Mohamed, told reporters at the blast site that most of those killed were civilians, including two Turkish citizens.
“We will confirm the exact number of the number of the dead later but it is not going to be small,” he said. “Most of the dead were innocent university students and other civilians.” Somali police chief Abdi Hassan Mohamed told reporters that the “devastating” circumstances had made it hard to establish the number of casualties.
The attack targeted a busy area where a security checkpoint had caused a traffic bottleneck, leading to high casualty levels. “Now we can elaborate on the death toll which stands 79 at the moment and the wounded are 100 plus,” he said. “There can be one or two more people who may be dead.”
The attack targeted a busy area where a security checkpoint had caused a traffic bottleneck, resulting in high casualty levels.
“I saw many dead bodies lying on the ground,” a witness, Mohamed Abdi Hakim, said. “Some of those dead were police officers, but most of them were students.”“I saw many dead bodies lying on the ground,” a witness, Mohamed Abdi Hakim, said. “Some of those dead were police officers, but most of them were students.”
Officials said the toll was likely to rise because dozens of people had been injured, many of them seriously. People rushed to hospitals to search for missing family and friends, searching the wards then looking at dozens of bodies. People rushed to hospitals to search for missing family and friends, searching the wards then looking at dozens of bodies.
Abdukadir Abdirahman Haji, the director of the private Aamin ambulance service, said: “The number of casualties we have confirmed is 76 dead and 70 wounded. It could still be higher.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the extremist group al-Shabaab has carried out similar attacks in the past. The al-Qaida-linked group was pushed out of Mogadishu nearly a decade ago, but it launches regular attacks on high-profile targets in the city.There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the extremist group al-Shabaab has carried out similar attacks in the past. The al-Qaida-linked group was pushed out of Mogadishu nearly a decade ago, but it launches regular attacks on high-profile targets in the city.
This year alone it has targeted a shopping mall, the city mayor’s office and high-end hotels. Saturday’s bomb came two weeks after a hours-long hotel siege in which five people were killed. This year alone it has targeted a shopping mall, the city mayor’s office and high-end hotels. Saturday’s bomb came two weeks after a hotel siege that lasted hours and left five people dead.
The pace of attacks has raised concerns about the readiness of Somali forces to take over the country’s security, with control due to be transferred from an African Union force in the coming months.The pace of attacks has raised concerns about the readiness of Somali forces to take over the country’s security, with control due to be transferred from an African Union force in the coming months.
Earlier this year, UN experts monitoring sanctions on Somalia said al-Shabaab was now able to make its own explosives – its weapon of choice. The terrorist group had previously relied on military-grade explosives captured during attacks on an African Union peacekeeping force. This year, UN experts monitoring sanctions on Somalia said al-Shabaab was now able to make its own explosives – its weapon of choice. The terrorist group had previously relied on military-grade explosives captured during attacks on an African Union peacekeeping force.
The group was blamed for the deadliest single attack in the country’s history, in October 2017, when a truck bomb exploded next to a fuel tanker in Mogadishu, creating a fire-storm which killed nearly 600 people. The group was blamed for the deadliest single attack in the country’s history, in October 2017, when a truck bomb exploded next to a fuel tanker in Mogadishu, creating a fire-storm that killed nearly 600 people.
Al-Shabaab never claimed responsibility. It also did not claim to be behind a 2009 suicide bombing of a graduation ceremony for medical students, which sparked a major public backlash.Al-Shabaab never claimed responsibility. It also did not claim to be behind a 2009 suicide bombing of a graduation ceremony for medical students, which sparked a major public backlash.