Roadside explosions in Somali capital Mogadishu kill 5, official says

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Roadside explosions in the Somali capital killed five people and wounded eight others Saturday, according to a city official.

An explosive device had been planted at a spot in a street where many young people had gathered to take photos, Abdullahi Sheikh Abdirahman, district commissioner of Mogadishu’s Kahda district, told reporters.

“I saw several people lying on the street minutes after the first explosion, and when rescuers came to assist, another blast happeneed, causing most of the casualties,” witness Abdisamad Osman told The Associated Press.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack. But the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which opposes Somalia’s federal government, frequently carries out such assaults.

The attack comes just weeks after a similar explosion at a beach where more than 30 people were killed and over 60 others wounded. That attack, one of the deadliest in recent months, raised concern over the increasing frequency of violent attacks in Mogadishu.

By OMAR FARUK
Associated Press