MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A deadly suicide car bombing targeted a senior police official in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu on Saturday, officials said, but he escaped unharmed.
The blast hit a convoy of Mogadishu police chief Farhan Qarole near Banadir junction at around 10:10am, in what locals described as the largest explosion to take place in the area over the past months.
A plume of black smoke rising from the scene and ambulance vehicles rushing injured people to nearby hospitals were seen.
Security forces have cordoned off the scene immediately after the attack and there have been reports of soldiers firing gunshots into their air to disperse crowd who rushed to the site of the attack immediately after the explosion.
At least 9 people were killed and more than 10 others wounded, most of them soldiers, witnesses said.
“A terrorist-organized attack using vehicle packed with explosives targeted commander of Banadir regional police General Farhan Mohamud,” Somalia’s police said in a statement on Saturday.
“The commander survived, despite casualties inflicted by the explosion on the Banadir junction of Mogaidshu and the terrorists would not be able to detract people from serving the public.”
Al-Qaeda-aligned militant Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the car bomb explosion, saying it had 4 soldiers and wounded 5 others.
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