MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s police chief Abdi Hassan Hijar, several Ministers and MPs escaped a suicide bombing that struck a beachside restaurant they were staying on Friday night. At least 10 people were killed and more than eight others wounded.
Mr Hijar and politicians from his clan had meeting as a man wearing an explosive vest blew himself up in Pescatore restaurant at Liido beach in the capital Mogadishu.
Al-Qaeda-aligned militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted a gathering of government officials and members of security forces.
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo sent condolences to those who had lost their loved ones and asked security forces to maintain a high-level of vigilance during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
A spokesman for Somali police said three people had been killed and 8 others wounded. But Universal Somali TV put the death toll at 10 while local ambulance services said they had collected six dead bodies from the explosion scene.
Among the injured was the commander of Reserve Police General Siyad and other members of security forces.
The attack comes just days after a mortar round landed on Somali parliament – where MPs were debating measures to hold upcoming votes – leaving a number of people, including soldiers wounded. read more
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