Tuesday, April 08, 2008
"Four people died on the spot and two others died on their way to the hospital," said Osman Adan, who runs a pharmacy near the scene of the explosion.
Several other witnesses confirmed the toll in Beledwein, a relatively sleepy regional capital that has escaped much of the bloodletting in the capital
Hiraan regional governor Yusuf Ahmed Hagar blamed Islamist insurgents fighting the government for the attack that also wounded at least 26 people in Beledwein township.
"We are very much concerned about the explosion that killed many civilians in Beledwein today. It is unfortunate that insurgents are planting bombs in the civilian sites," Hagar added.
Islamists, accused of ties with Muslim extremist groups, have taken control of towns in recent months in an apparent show of determination to regain power across the country.
The government, formed in
Guerrilla fighting has killed thousands of people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee mainly from
The Islamists were run out of south and central
Source: AFP, April 08, 2008