A powerful bomb blast through a car bomb in a busy market in the western part of Somalia’s capital killed at least 15 people. The incident took place Mogadishu’s Madina district today. The bomb injured more than 10 people and causalities may rise said the police. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.
According to Indian Express reports, a witness said he saw severed limbs and blood scattered across the market. “Bodies were piled on top of each other.” he said by phone as ambulance sirens echoed from the background.
Notably Islamic extremist rebels like al-Shabab have often carry out such attacks in Somalia before athough no group has taken responsibility for the massacre.
In an audio message released by al-Shabab’s radio arm on Sunday, Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, a senior commander of the extremist group, called Somalia’s new president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed an “apostate” and warned Somalis against supporting him. Mohamed, who holds both Somali and US citizenship, was elected February 8.
The al-Shabab leader also referred the new president as “evil-minded,” recalling his eight-month tenure as the prime minister of Somalia in 2010 and 2011, during which the extremists lost control of Mogadishu, the capital.
“Remember how much harm he inflicted upon Muslims during his time as prime minister,” said Yaqub.
