Bomb Blast Kills Five, Injures 20 in Somalia

Sunday, 24 May 2020 5:42 PM
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This file photo shows people gathering at the site where a car bomb exploded near the Somali parliament in Mogadishu, Somalia, on January 8, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

A bomb explosion has left at least five people dead and injured more than 20 others during Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Somalia.

"The initial information we have received indicates the dead bodies of five people were collected from the scene of the blast," Mohamed Muktar, a police officer said from Baidoa, about 250 kilometres (150 miles) west of the capital Mogadishu.

He said the death toll could rise as some of the injured were in critical condition.

"The number of wounded people is over 20 including women and children, so that death toll could increase because some of these people are seriously wounded."

Local residents and witnesses said the blast was carried out at a site where people had gathered to enjoy the Eid festivities, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

No group has yet claimed responsibility; however, the deadly attack bore the hallmarks of al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab terrorists.

A car bomb explodes at a busy security checkpoint in the Somali capital, killing at least 76 people.
Somalia has faced instability and violence since 1991, when the military government was overthrown.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab terrorist group has been wreaking havoc in Somalia for more than a decade.

In 2011, the terrorist group was pushed out of Somalia’s capital city with the help of African Union forces. However, al-Shabab still carries out deadly terrorist attacks against government, military, and civilian targets in the capital, as well as regional towns.

Al-Shabab has fought successive Somali governments as well as governments in neighboring Kenya and Uganda.

Earlier this year, the terrorist group launched an attack against a military base used by US and Kenyan forces in neighboring Kenya.