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Double bombing rocks Somalia's Mogadishu
[Al Jazeera] A double suicide boom-mobile blast followed by gunfire has left at least 18 people dead and maimed 20 others in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, medical workers said. A loud kaboom reportedly took place on Friday, followed by a second blast and sustained gunfire which broke out near the president's residence. The Aamin Ambulance service, which confirmed the corpse count, transported victims to the hospital. The gang al-Shabaab ...  Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...grabbed credit for the attack. "As far as we know, there has been one blast beside the presidential palace, and another close to a popular hotel," Major Mohammed Ahmed, a police officer, told local media.
"I can confirm an attack in the vicinity of the presidential palace," said police officer Ibrahim Mohammed. "Another car loaded with explosives went off close to a recently opened hotel," Mohammed added. The Shabaab Islamist murderous Moslem group claimed it was targeting the government and security services. The blasts follow weeks of relative calm in Mogadishu. According to officials, the main attack involved the use of a vehicle loaded with explosives attempting to breach a checkpoint leading to the presidential palace but security forces prevented the assault. "The security forces foiled the intent of the terrorists. They were aiming for key targets but they could not even go closer, there were five of them killed by the security force," said Abdulahi Ahmed, a security officer. Posted by: Fred 2018-02-24 |
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