Sat 29 October 2022:
Two car bombs exploded near important government offices in Mogadishu, causing “scores of civilian casualties,” according to Somali state media.
The attack took place at the Zobe crossroads, where an al-Shabaab vehicle explosion in 2017 killed over 500 people.
On Saturday, the president, prime minister, and other senior officials met to discuss combatting violent extremism, particularly by the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabaab organization, which frequently threatens the capital.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
An Associated Press journalist at the scene reported seeing the bodies of “many” people, who appeared to be civilians traveling on public transport.
He said the second blast occurred in front of a busy restaurant. Images from the scene showed crushed tuk-tuks and other vehicles.
Al-Shabaab often targets high-profile locations. Saturday’s blast occurred near the education ministry, which the extremists stormed in 2015, and the foreign ministry.
Somalia’s government has been engaged in a new, high-profile offensive against the extremist group, which the US has described as one of al-Qaida’s deadliest organisations.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, has declared a “total war” against the extremists who dominate much of central and southern Somalia and have recently been the target of numerous US bombings.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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