Blasts kill 15 as militants target restaurant again
Print Edition
Somali militants attacked a restaurant near Mogadishu’s seat of government for the second time in less than a year yesterday, detonating two large blasts that killed at least 15 people and wounded nearly two dozen, police said.
Officials said the attack included a car bomb blast and a suicide bomber who entered The Village eatery. The second blast was caused by a suicide bomber posing as a first responder after the car bomb exploded, the African Union military force in Somalia said in a statement.
The force of the blasts appeared to tear much of the roof off the restaurant, which is frequented by government workers.
Captain Ali Hussein, a senior police official, put the death toll at 15 and said at least 20 had been wounded in the blasts.
“This disaster never comes to an end,” yelled Isaq Hassan, a car washer who lost a colleague in the blasts. “See this, that and this! Life is worthless here,” he said as he pointed to dead bodies on the ground.
Wounded people screaming in pain were taken away by ambulance while soldiers fired in the air, apparently in an attempt to restore order.
Nicholas Kay, the UN representative for Somalia, condemned the attack, saying “cruel and cowardly acts of terrorism serve to remind us that the people of Somalia desperately need peace.”
“Terrorism is a threat to Somalis, the people of the region and the world. It needs to be defeated militarily and politically,” said Kay.
Militants, most likely from the al-Qaida-affiliated group al-Shabab, attacked The Village last November.
That attack, though, was less severe; two suicide bombers attacked but the blast killed only one guard. Guards were reported to have opened fire on the attackers.
Al-Shabab makes frequent attempts against government leaders and seats of power.
“They attack the restaurants because they hate to see people peacefully spending time together,” said Mohamed Abdi, an Interior Ministry employee who spoke as he stood near the dead body of an old man.
African Union forces pushed al-Shabab out of Mogadishu in August 2011, but the rebels continue to carry out suicide attacks in the capital.
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