Car bomb hits Turkish embassy in Somali capital
July 27, 2013 - 21:15 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A car loaded with explosives rammed into the gates
of an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital,
killing three people, witnesses and police said on Saturday, July 27,
according to Reuters.
"A suicide car bomb targeted a building housing Turkish embassy
workers near k4 (Kilometer Four)," Ahmed Mohamud, police officer told
Reuters from the scene of the blast.
Mohamud later said the number of dead was three - Somali civilians and
a suspected suicide bomber, while nine others had been wounded.
"The car was taking advantage of a Turkish car that was going into the
building, thus the car bomb exploded and destroyed the gate," he said.
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels claimed responsibility for the
attack, as they have for previous bombings, including one in mid-July
that killed eight civilians.
"Mujahideen forces in Mogadishu have just carried out an operation
targeting a group of Turkish diplomats in Hodan district," al Shabaab
said on its Twitter feed.
Al Shabaab was forced out of bases in Mogadishu by Somali and African
forces about two years ago, raising hopes of a return to relative
security in a city hit by years of turmoil.
But militants have kept up guerrilla-style attacks and continue to
control large rural areas, challenging the authority of a government
less than one year old.
In the most recent brazen attack, its members attacked the main UN
compound in the capital in June, killing 22 people.
The group said earlier this month it was aiming to increase the number
of attacks carried out during the Ramadan fasting period.
July 27, 2013 - 21:15 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A car loaded with explosives rammed into the gates
of an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital,
killing three people, witnesses and police said on Saturday, July 27,
according to Reuters.
"A suicide car bomb targeted a building housing Turkish embassy
workers near k4 (Kilometer Four)," Ahmed Mohamud, police officer told
Reuters from the scene of the blast.
Mohamud later said the number of dead was three - Somali civilians and
a suspected suicide bomber, while nine others had been wounded.
"The car was taking advantage of a Turkish car that was going into the
building, thus the car bomb exploded and destroyed the gate," he said.
Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels claimed responsibility for the
attack, as they have for previous bombings, including one in mid-July
that killed eight civilians.
"Mujahideen forces in Mogadishu have just carried out an operation
targeting a group of Turkish diplomats in Hodan district," al Shabaab
said on its Twitter feed.
Al Shabaab was forced out of bases in Mogadishu by Somali and African
forces about two years ago, raising hopes of a return to relative
security in a city hit by years of turmoil.
But militants have kept up guerrilla-style attacks and continue to
control large rural areas, challenging the authority of a government
less than one year old.
In the most recent brazen attack, its members attacked the main UN
compound in the capital in June, killing 22 people.
The group said earlier this month it was aiming to increase the number
of attacks carried out during the Ramadan fasting period.