People gather outside their destroyed shops after a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Banadir regional administration in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Image: dpa
At least 20 people have died in a terrorist attack in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, according to police. The Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for the attack.
In east African Somalia, armed terrorists have attacked buildings housing government officials in the heart of the capital, Mogadishu. At least twenty people – including five terrorists – died in Tuesday’s attack, which included explosions, gunfire and at least one suicide bomber, according to police. The number could increase, said a police officer from the German Press Agency. The buildings in Abdiaziz, one of the safest districts of Mogadishu, contained a senior commander of the Somali military and government officials, as well as wounded soldiers and militiamen. The Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The crisis state on the Horn of Africa with around 16 million inhabitants has been rocked by acts of violence for years, especially by Al-Shabaab. The government has been waging a military offensive against Al-Shabaab for several months. The government was able to reconquer large parts of central Somalia. At the same time, the extremists are increasing the frequency of their attacks.
Somalia’s government said on Tuesday that the army, with the support of international partners, killed more than 42 Islamist militants in airstrikes in the central Somali state of Hirshabelle, north of Mogadishu. Turkey and the USA are supporting Somalia in the fight against the Islamists with drones.