Somalia: at least 5 dead in bomb attack in Mogadishu

A bomb attack in the Somali capital Mogadishu killed at least five people, including aid workers, and injured several others on Thursday. The attack targeted a vehicle carrying Turkish nationals and their security escorts.

A bomb attack rocked the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday, killing at least five people and injuring several others, according to a security official. The bomb, remotely controlled and placed on the side of the road in the Garasbaley district, exploded as a vehicle transporting Turkish nationals and their security escorts traveling to camps for displaced people to carry out humanitarian aid operations passed by.

Ahmed Abdi, the security official, announced the deaths of three security guards in the attack, without specifying the number of Turkish nationals killed or injured. However, media reported that two Turkish nationals engaged in humanitarian operations were killed in the attack.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, some sources believe that the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for recent bombings in Mogadishu. Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with major terrorist groups Al-Shabab and Daesh threatening the country's stability.

Al-Shabab, in particular, has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) since 2007. The terrorist group has intensified its attacks in recent times, particularly since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared “total war” against Al-Shabab.