Somalia: Suicide bombing kills 3, wounds over 20

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least three people were killed and 20 others, including Turkish nationals, injured after a suicide car bomb blast targeted a police convoy escorting Turkish contractors in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, said officials.

Somali government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo confirmed the attack to Anadolu Agency over the phone. The attack happened in the town of Afgoye, lower Shabelle region.

"It's very early to say how many have been killed in the attack but what we know is several people including soldiers were killed and 20 others wounded and casualties could rise," he said.

He also said among those injured were Somalia’s deputy commander of special forces.

Meanwhile, Bashir Ahmed, a police official in Afgoye, told Anadolu Agency that three people, including soldiers, were killed in the attack.

According to Turkey’s Embassy in Mogadishu, four staffers of a Turkish construction firm were injured in the attack.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, at least three people were killed when a roadside bombing targeted security forces guarding Turkish nationals who were working for road construction outside Mogadishu.

On Dec. 28, at least 85 people, including two Turkish nationals, were killed and over 150 others wounded in a truck suicide attack in Mogadishu, in another attack claimed by al-Shabaab.

Turkey has strong historical ties with Somalia on the principle of “win-win” relations, including over 150 development aid projects carried out by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency since 2011.