Somalia’s President Appeals for International Help for Wounded Victims

At least 100 people have been killed and 300 wounded in two car bomb explosions in the capital Mogadishu, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said. Blaming the al-Shabab armed group for the attacks, Mohamud told reporters on Sunday that he expected the death toll from the twin blasts to rise further. Authorities said the attack at the busy Sobe intersection on Saturday targeted the Somali education ministry and a school. Sadiq Doodishe, a police spokesperson, told reporters that women, children and the elderly had been killed in the attack. State news agency SONNA said independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona was also killed. The United Nations Mission in Somalia condemned Saturday’s “vicious attack” and extended its condolences to the families of the victims. Turkey condemned the “heinous” attack, while Qatar – firmly rejecting violence and “terrorism” – expressed its condolences and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. The explosions occurred in the same location as Somalia’s largest bombing in October 2017, which killed more than 500 people. In that bombing, a truck bomb exploded outside a busy hotel at the K5 intersection, which is lined with government offices, restaurants, and kiosks.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA