Somalia: Truck bomb in Mogadishu kills 70, al-Shabaab claimed responsability for attack
Islamist militants detonated a truck bomb Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu, killing at least 70 people, wounding dozens and shattering a relative calm that had prevailed in the Somali capital for weeks.
The bomb blew up after coming to a halt at a security checkpoint. It left blackened corpses on the debris-strewn street and set other vehicles alight. Uniformed soldiers were seen dragging the wounded away.
Ali Muse, the chief of Mogadishu’s ambulance service, told The Associated Press that at least 70 people died and at least 42 others were wounded.
The al-Qaida-linked group al-Shabaab immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack on a website it uses.