Thursday March 28, 2019
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An explosives-laden vehicle detonated outside a
busy restaurant in Somalia's capital, killing at least 16 people,
police said Thursday.
Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the blast occurred as the restaurant in Mogadishu's Waberi district was crowded with diners
At least 17 other people were wounded, Col. Mohamed Hassan said.
The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility.
The group often targets high-profile areas in Mogadishu with suicide
bombings. Those often include security checkpoints, hotels and
government offices.
The extremist group was chased out of the capital several years ago
but continues to hold large parts of rural southern and central Somalia,
taxing local people and travelers to fund its deadly quest to establish
an Islamic state. It has thousands of fighters.
The United States military has dramatically increased the number of
deadly airstrikes against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took
office. The U.S. is one of a number of actors fighting al-Shabab,
including a multinational African Union force, Somali forces and Kenyan
troops.