Truck bomb kills 25
MOGADISHU: At least 25 people were killed when a massive explosion rocked Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Thursday (Somali time), a police officer said.
Police were among the 25 victims, Ali Hassan Kulmiye said. A truck bomb had gone off in the evening near an upmarket hotel frequented by government officials.
A second blast was heard about an hour after the first, and police said casualty figures could rise.
SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity, said Islamist group alShabab had claimed responsibility.
‘‘We are still trying to establish more about this largescale attack,’’ said Somali police officer Ahmed Bashane. ‘‘But I think the militants were targeting popular hotels in the area.
‘‘The situation is very chaotic. We suspect there are other cars laden with explosive devices hiding in the area.’’
Police said the attack was claimed by Islamic extremists as an attempt to bomb a hotel. Militants detonated a car bomb near the residence of Judge Abshir Omar, and security forces stationed outside the house fought off gunmen who tried to force their way into Omar’s house, police officer Mohamed Hussein said.
Hours after the attack, gunfire could still be heard, and Bashane said some militants were still in the area.
The explosion caused destruction to businesses around the busy Maka AlMukarama road. Some were on fire. Sporadic gunfire could also be heard in the area following the blast.
The blast was so large it could be felt about 8km away, a DPA reporter in Mogadishu said.
Vehicles were destroyed and debris struck power lines, setting off other electric explosions and shattering windows of nearby buildings, the reporter said.
AlShabab, a group affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, launches regular attacks. against government officials, foreigners, hotels and restaurants within the volatile Horn of Africa nation.
In 2017, more than 500 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a truck full of explosives in Mogadishu in the group’s worstever attack — DPA