Explosion in Mogadishu
At least six people were killed and three others injured when a remote controlled improvised explosive device (IED) targeted civilians in the village of Via Rome in Hamarweyne district of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
A pedestrian who was passing by the area at the time of the attack described what he saw to Somalia Report.
“As I was just walking I heard a loud explosion and I ran and into a corner. It was followed by thick smoke which covered the whole area. I saw a car damaged and the bodies of people who were killed that were being pulled out of the area. I got frustrated when I saw the blood and the bodies. I can not verify how many people died in the explosion,” said Mowlid, the witness.
When the government forces came to the scene they immediately called ambulance to pick the injured and the deceased.
“After the explosion, we found the bodies of four people and five who were injured so we immediately for called an ambulance. The people were rushed to Al-qalim hospital in Hamarweyne where two of the injured people died," said Warsame Mohamed Ahmed Jodax, a deputy mayor of Mogadishu.
Local officials blamed al-Shabaab, the Islamic insurgent group battling for control of the country, for the bombing.
“There were no police or a military posted in the area so the whole point was clearly to target the civilians. You can see this is a civilian vehicle. It’s badly burned and the driver died so we clearly understand that this is an al-Shabaab tactic since they are known for targeting civilians when they are defeated in order to cause terror among the residents,” added the deputy mayor.
The injured were rushed to Al-qalim hospital in Hamarweyne where one of the attending doctors spoke to Somalia Report.
“After the explosion we were alerted by the deputy governor of Mogadishu and we immediately sent an ambulance and our nurses to pick up the injured. When they reached the scene, they found four people who were deceased and picked up five who were injured and brought them to the hospital. After a short treatment, two of the five that were injured passed away and now the number of the deceased has risen to six,” said Doctor Ahmed Dahir.
The survivors' injuries range from severe to non-life threatening. “One of them is in severe condition because his entire body was burned. We are trying our best to help him separately since he is in dire condition. But the other two are in a better condition now since one sustained burns to the arms and the back while the other sustained minor burns to the legs. Although they all have sustained trauma, they are all conscious so we expect them be all right in the near future, God willing,” added the doctor.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
