Suicide car bomb kills 2 in Somalia: police

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least two security personnel were killed and several others wounded when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden car in southern Somalia on Tuesday, a security official said.

Mohamed Ali Adan, a police officer, told Anadolu over the phone that the explosion targeted a guest house in the town of Bardhere that housed regional administration officials and senior military officials.

Garane Abdi, a local resident, told Anadolu that there were mortar attacks before the explosion.

“The explosion was huge. I never witnessed such an explosion in my life”, he said.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since military operations against al-Shabaab have intensified, the terrorist group has increased its attacks. In October of last year, two car bombs targeted the Education Ministry, killing at least 121 people and injuring more than 300 others in the deadliest bombing in Somalia in years.

The Somali National Army has been fighting al-Shabaab terrorists since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on them after his reelection for a second term last May.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS terror groups being the main threats.

The UN has warned of growing insecurity in the country, issuing periodic reports last year detailing attacks by al-Shabaab and pro-Daesh/ISIS terror groups.