The death toll from car bomb attacks in the Somali capital Mogadishu has risen to 120, and the toll could rise as some people remain missing, the health minister said on Monday.
Ali Haji said that in addition to the death toll, more than 320 people were injured in the explosions that took place at a busy intersection in Mogadishu, and more than 150 of them are still being treated in hospitals.
Saturday’s attack, with two car bombs near key government buildings, was claimed by the extremist group Al-Shebab, which said it targeted the Ministry of Education, accusing the institution of alienating young people from Islam.
It was considered Somalia’s deadliest attack since a truck bomb attack on the same site that killed more than 500 people five years ago, carried out by the same al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shebab rebel group.
It is not clear how the vehicles loaded with explosives managed to pass through a city full of checkpoints and constantly alert for possible attacks.
The Somali government, under the newly elected presidency of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has been engaged in a new offensive against al-Shebab, including efforts to shut down his financial network. The government said the fight will continue.
In a statement, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, on Sunday reiterated his call on the international community to redouble its commitment to “ensuring strong support for Somali institutions in the fight to defeat terrorist groups ” and reaffirmed “the continuing determination of the African Union to “support the Somali government and people in their efforts to achieve sustainable peace and security.”
Source: TSF
