Double car bombing hits central Mogadishu

Mogadishu, Oct 29 (EFE).- Two car bombs exploded in the center of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday, causing an undetermined number of deaths and injuries, police and local media said.

The attack took place at an intersection near the Ministry of Education, local press reported, adding that gunfire and further explosions erupted in the aftermath.

While no exact figure has been given, police and eyewitnesses suggest at least a dozen people were killed in the blast.

Police reports cited by local media said that a police commander and a well-known Somali journalist were among the dead.

“We are shocked and saddened by the killing of our colleague, Mohamed Isse Koonaa who reports for #UniversalTV in #Mogadishu’s double car bombings today. Two other colleagues: Reuters photojournalist & VOA freelancer are injured & are in the hospital,” the Somali Journalists Syndicate said.

In December 2019, at least 92 people were killed and 128 injured by a car bombing at the same intersection near the education ministry in what was one of the deadliest attacks in Mogadishu’s history.

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on August 23 declared a “total war” to eliminate Al Shabab.

Since then, several United States-supported military operations have been conducted against the terror group.

The Somali government says over 100 Al Shabab members were killed in September. EFE

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