Mogadishu car bombs kill 22

  • 15/10/2017
Scene of an attack in the Hodan district of Mogadishu.
Scene of an attack in the Hodan district of Mogadishu. Photo credit: Reuters

Two car bombs in separate parts of Somalia's capital Mogadishu have killed at least 22 people and injured several others.

The first explosion on Saturday in the city's K5 Junction area, which is lined with government offices, hotels, and restaurants, destroyed several buildings and set dozens of vehicles on fire.

"We know that at least 20 civilians are dead while dozens of others are wounded," said Abdullahi Nur, a police officer who was in the area.

"The death toll will surely rise. We are still busy transporting casualties," he said, adding that there were bodies under the rubble.

About two hours later, there was a second blast in the city's Madina district.

"It was a car bomb. Two civilians were killed," Siyad Farah, a police major, said, adding that a suspect had been caught on suspicion of planting explosives.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the Islamist al Shabaab group has carried out regular attacks.

Reuters