On Saturday, in one of the deadliest bombings in history, nearly 300 civilians, reporters, and government officials were killed in a truck bombing in Mogadishu.
In the middle of a busy intersection in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, a bomb went off destroying neighboring buildings which included hotels, restaurants, and government offices. According to reports from early Monday morning, the death toll has surpassed 300 and an additional 300 people were injured in the blast.
Hospitals in Mogadishu are struggling to cope with the high number of injured patients. Planes from Turkey were dispatched on Sunday to bring additional medical supplies and transport patients to other hospitals. The death toll is expected to rise as more people are discovered.
Somali police report that the terrorist group Al Shabab is responsible for the blast. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabab first emerged in 2006 but was driven out of Mogadishu by the African Unin Forces in 2011. The group vowed to increase attacks and violence within the last year.
President Mohamen Abdullahi Farmaajo has declared three days of mourning in response to the bombing and tweeted “Today’s horrific attack proves our enemy would stop nothing to cause our people pain and suffering. Lets unite against terror.”
In a statement, the US Mission to Somalia said “The United States condemns in the strongest terms the October 14 terrorist attacks that killed and injured scores of innocent Somalis in Mogadishu. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who perished and wish a speedy recovery to individuals injured in the blasts. The United States lauds the heroic response of the Somali security forces and first responders and Somali citizens who rushed to the aid of their brothers and sisters.”
Media resources: The New York Times 10/15/17; 10/15/17; The Guardian 10/16/17; BBC 10/16/17; The Washington Post 10/16/17
