Attack on cafe in Somalia leaves 9 dead
Date
7/15/2024 10:00:06 AM
(MENAFN) The death toll from a blast at a cafe in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, has risen to 9, according to security sources speaking to a French news agency on Monday. The explosion occurred when a car bomb targeted a venue filled with football fans watching the Euro 2024 final.
Mohamed Yusuf, an official from the national security agency, reported, "Nine civilians were killed and 20 others wounded in the explosion," updating the previous toll of five casualties provided by authorities late Sunday. Yusuf noted, "There were many people inside the restaurant, most of them youth who were watching the football match... but thanks to God, most of them made their way out safely after using ladders to climb up and jump over the backside perimeter wall."
Images posted online depicted a massive fireball and smoke rising into the night sky as the explosion devastated the popular restaurant in the city center on Sunday. Police officer Mohamed Salad, who arrived at the scene shortly after the blast, informed the news agency that several bodies were discovered beneath the debris. He stated, "Five people died outside the building and on the main road including drivers of vehicles that were passing by the area," and added, "Four people died inside the restaurant, some of them removed from under the debris."
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, the state-run Somali National News Agency reported on Sunday that the attack was carried out by Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab jihadists. Al-Shabaab has been waging a bloody insurgency against Somalia's fragile federal government for over 17 years, conducting numerous bombings in Mogadishu and other parts of the country.
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