Car bomb targeting Turkish engineers kills 3 in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A powerful car bomb targeting Turkish construction workers exploded on Saturday near Mogadishu, leaving 3 dead and 11 wounded, authorities said, Garowe Online reports.

It was the second suicide attack on Turkish engineers working a Qatar-funded multi-million project to build a highway linking Mogadishu to Afgoye town since last December.

At least 85 people killed in a similar attack at the busy Ex-control Afgoye on December 28, including two Turkish nationals while the rest were Somali civilians, among them women and children.

The suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden truck at the Bood Boodka area near Afgoye during lunchtime, wounding 4 Turks and 9 Somalis, according to Minister of Health of Turkey Dr. Fahrettin Koca.

The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the area, happened about 12:00 p.m. local time and destroyed several vehicles and equipment in the facility run by the Turkish team.

The minister added that some of the wounded are in critical condition and likely to be airlifted to Turkey for proper treatment. Ankara has strongly condemned the heinous attack claimed by Al-Shabaab.

The weak UN-backed Somali government remains silent on the attack, which deals a big blow to its security strategy as Al-Shabaab ramps up attacks in the country ahead of the anticipated elections.

GAROWE ONLINE