https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/25/suicide-bomber-kills-at-least-eight-in-somali-capital
A suicide car bomb blast has killed at least eight people at a security checkpoint near the presidential palace in the Somali capital, in an attack claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group.
The checkpoint falls on the route to the airport in Mogadishu, used by Somalia’s president and prime minister.
Police spokesman Abdifatah Aden Hassan told reporters at the scene the number of casualties in Saturday’s attack could be higher as some of the dead and wounded were taken away by relatives after the attack targeting a convoy going into the palace.
“Al-Shabab is behind the blast. They killed eight people including a soldier and a mother and two children. Al-Shabab massacres civilians,” he said.
In a brief statement, the group confirmed it was behind the bombing.
“The mujahideen carried [out] a martyrdom operation targeting the main security checkpoint of the presidential palace,” it said.
Al-Shabab, which wants to overthrow the government and impose its interpretation of Islamic law, frequently carries out such bombings….
Government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu said among those killed was Hibaq Abukar, a women and human rights affairs adviser in Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble’s office.
“She was one of the pillars of PM’s office [for] women affairs,” he said on his Facebook page.
Roble condemned the attack and paid tribute to Abukar, whom he called “a young hard-working vibrant girl with honesty” as well as a “devoted citizen.”
“We have to cooperate in the fight against the ruthless terrorists who regularly kill our people,” he added.
A suicide car bomb blast has killed at least eight people at a security checkpoint near the presidential palace in the Somali capital, in an attack claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group.
The checkpoint falls on the route to the airport in Mogadishu, used by Somalia’s president and prime minister.
Police spokesman Abdifatah Aden Hassan told reporters at the scene the number of casualties in Saturday’s attack could be higher as some of the dead and wounded were taken away by relatives after the attack targeting a convoy going into the palace.
“Al-Shabab is behind the blast. They killed eight people including a soldier and a mother and two children. Al-Shabab massacres civilians,” he said.
In a brief statement, the group confirmed it was behind the bombing.
“The mujahideen carried [out] a martyrdom operation targeting the main security checkpoint of the presidential palace,” it said.
Al-Shabab, which wants to overthrow the government and impose its interpretation of Islamic law, frequently carries out such bombings….
Government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu said among those killed was Hibaq Abukar, a women and human rights affairs adviser in Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble’s office.
“She was one of the pillars of PM’s office [for] women affairs,” he said on his Facebook page.
Roble condemned the attack and paid tribute to Abukar, whom he called “a young hard-working vibrant girl with honesty” as well as a “devoted citizen.”
“We have to cooperate in the fight against the ruthless terrorists who regularly kill our people,” he added.
