Somalia: Over 100 killed in two car bombings, figure likely to rise

More than 100 people, including children, were killed in two car bombings at a busy junction near key government offices in the Somali capital Mogadishu. There are reports that the death toll may still rise.

Somalia’s President confirms death

Somalia’s president said at least 100 people were killed in Saturday’s car bombings in the capital and the death toll was expected to rise. The attack in Mogadishu came on a day the president, prime minister and other senior officials were meeting to discuss expanded efforts aimed at combating violent extremism, particularly the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group.

There was an explosion at this place five years ago.

According to the information, five years ago there was a huge explosion at this place, in which more than 500 people died. However, no one has yet claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack.

President called the attack brutal and cowardly

President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud blamed al-Shabaab for the attack and called it a brutal and cowardly incident. The director of the ambulance service, Abdulkadir Adan, said in a tweet that an ambulance that helped those injured in the first attack was destroyed in the second explosion. Abdirzak Hassan, an eyewitness, said, ‘I was 100 meters away when the second blast happened. I could not count the dead bodies lying on the ground. He said the first blast took place outside the education ministry’s boundary wall, where hawkers and currency changers were present. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said the second explosion occurred in the afternoon in front of a busy restaurant. There are a large number of dead bodies lying on the roads, they seem to be ordinary people traveling in public transport. The Somalia Journalists’ Syndicate, citing its colleagues and police, said a second explosion killed one journalist and injured two others.