Death toll from car bomb in Somalia’s capital climbs to 17

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A Somali police officer says a car bomb exploded near the gate of the main airport in the capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 17 people and wounding more than 30 others on Monday, Garowe Online reports.

Confirming the incident, Mohamed Hussein, a police Colonel said that the blast was apparently targeting the security checkpoint of Aden Adde International airport in the vicinity of the busy K4 junction.

“The bomber responsible for Monday’s attack drove a vehicle packed with of explosives through the checkpoint at the entrance to the airport and killed 17 people, mostly civilians,” said Hussein.

Video footage taken shortly afterward showed the mangled wreckage of many vehicles surrounded by debris and dead bodies. Al-Shabab said it has carried out the deadly car bomb attack in the capital.

The huge car bomb explosion in the busy road sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky, causing destruction in nearby business buildings, including hotel Afrik and several cars lined to pass through the security checkpoint. 

The blast comes days after Somali police warned against a potential attack by a suicide car bomber in Mogadishu, which has been beset by frequent car bombings and assassinations, claimed by Al-Shabab.

In the past few years, Mogadishu has witnessed major attacks despite efforts by the Federal Government of Somalia to stabilize the long-chaotic capital of the Horn of Africa nation.

Al Shabaab was ejected from Mogadishu in 2011 and has since been driven from most of its other strongholds by Somali and AU troops, but, the group still remains a threat to the security of the country.

GAROWE ONLINE