Wednesday, July 24, 2013
A man tries to extinguish a burning car after it exploded near Hamaerweyne market in Mogadishu.
NAIROBI — At least one person has been killed and dozens of others wounded by a bomb in a car belonging to a Somali lawmaker in Mogadishu. Witnesses say the car exploded after government officials left the vehicle.
Wednesday’s bomb attack appears to have targeted members of parliament in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
A police commander, Mohamed Dahir, said the bomb was planted in the vehicle carrying lawmaker Sheikh Adan Madeer, among others.
“The target was the government officials who survived the attack, but civilians who were at the scene were injured,” he said.
One witness at the scene of the attack, Yusuf Yahye, said the blast was so powerful, it destroyed all the businesses in the area.
He said he ran for his life and saw an injured woman and a man who lost both legs. He said the explosion destroyed his business and he has lost everything.
The militant group al-Shabab has not claimed responsibility for this latest attack, but it has vowed to topple the internationally recognized Somali government.
The group views Somali government officials and humanitarian workers as enemies.
Meanwhile, government soldiers started rounding up people they suspect of having links to three suspected al-Shabab militants who died when a bomb they were assembling exploded Tuesday. One woman was also killed.
Traditionally, the al-Qaida linked group al-Shabab has doubled its attacks against Somali government target during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.