5 killed in twin blasts, attack by Al Shabab fighters in Somalia
mogadishu — At least five people were killed and 21 wounded on Saturday when militants from Somalia’s Al Shabab group set off two bombs in central Mogadishu and stormed a government building.
A witness saw a heavy exchange of gunfire outside the building, which houses the security and interior ministries and is also used by police.
Smoke drifted from burning vehicles following a suicide car bombing close to the presidential palace and a second blast near the security building.
“So far we carried (out) five dead people and 21 others injured. The death toll may rise,” Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of the Amin ambulance emergency service said.
Spokesman for the group, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said it had carried out both bombings and its fighters remained inside the government security building.
He said they had killed over 20 interior and security ministries’ workers and security personnel who were guarding the building. Al Shabab typically gives death tolls that are higher than numbers given by officials.
Police official Major Mohamed Hussein said the second explosion took place when a vehicle carrying Al Shabab fighters to storm the building after the first explosion was detonated remotely.
“Al Shabab remotely exploded the second car after they got out of it,” he said, adding that a heavy exchange of fire continued at the occupied building.