Suicide bombing in central Somalia kills 10

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – At least 10 people were killed and more than 15 others wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up in central Somalia on Saturday, a security official said.

The suicide bomber hit a busy restaurant in Beledweyne, the provincial capital of the Hiran region, a security official told Anadolu Agency over the phone on condition of anonymity.

“The scene of the bomb blast was very chaotic and human blood was everywhere. This was a huge explosion,” Abdirmahad Hussein, an eyewitness, told Anadolu Agency.

Security forces reached the area firing live bullets in the air trying to disperse people who flocked to the scene of the blast, according to another eyewitness.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed recent attacks in the country.

Beledweyne is a major town located 341 kilometers (211 miles) from the Somali capital Mogadishu.

The attack comes as the Horn of Africa country is preparing for the presidential election scheduled for Feb. 25.