Bomb blast kills 1, wounds 11 in Somali capital

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - One person was killed and at least 11 others were wounded in a bomb blast in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday, an official said.

The attack took place in Mogadishu’s Dharkinley district shortly after the afternoon prayer, targeting a busy tea shop, a police officer told Anadolu over the phone, requesting anonymity.

He said the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) “targeting civilian customers,” adding the injured people were rushed to hospitals.

Mohamed Ahmed, a shopkeeper nearby, told Anadolu over the phone that the situation was chaotic and he saw eight people lying on the ground wounded.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed recent bomb attacks in the capital Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, regularly targets security forces, government officials and civilians.