Powerful truck bomb hits hotel in capital of Somalia

Security had trailed vehicle described as suspicious; 20 dead, at least 15 injured

A huge explosion from a truck bomb killed 20 people Saturday in Somalia’s capital, shaking Mogadishu residents who described the blast as the most powerful they’d heard in years.

The explosion appeared to target the Safari Hotel, which was largely destroyed. Police said people were trapped in the rubble of the hotel, close to Somalia’s foreign ministry.

At least 15 people were injured, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein said. He said security forces had been trailing the truck after it raised suspicions.

The Somalia-based extremist group alShabab has recently stepped up attacks on army bases. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s blast, al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu with bombings.

Gunshots could be heard at the site, and ambulance sirens wailed across the capital that has been under tight security with military-manned checkpoints.

The explosion left a trail of destruction across a busy intersection, with several bodies and bloodied clothing and shoes.

“There was a traffic jam, and the road was packed,” said Abdinur Abdulle, a waiter at a nearby restaurant.

The blast occurred two days after the head of the U.S. Africa Command was in Mogadishu to meet with Somalia’s president and two days after the nation’s defense minister and army chief resigned for undisclosed reasons.

MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB, AFP/GETTY IMAGES Smoke rises from the flames that continue to burn Saturday behind a man looking at the destruction caused by the Mogadishu bombing.

FARAH ABDI WARSAMEH, AP Somalis look for survivors amid the rubble of buildings damaged by a truck bomb outside a hotel near the foreign ministry.

FARAH ABDI WARSAMEH, AP Rescuers use a sheet to carry an injured man to an ambulance. Residents said the bomb blast was the most powerful they had heard in years.

SAID YUSUF WARSAME, EPA-EFE Vehicles burn at the explosion site in front of the Safari Hotel. Mogadishu has been a target of past al-Shabab extremist attacks.

FARAH ABDI WARSAMEH, AP A Somali soldier and another man help lead an injured civilian away from the blast area Saturday in the country’s capital.