Somali militants kill five with car bomb in Mogadishu
Somali militants kill five with car bomb in Mogadishu
Source: Reuters - Wed, 15 Oct 2014 20:21 GMT, 15 Oct 2014
URL: http://goo.gl/RWe9ny
(Adds al Shabaab claim of responsibility, background)
By Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU, Oct 15 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and several wounded when a car bomb planted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab exploded near restaurants on a busy street in the Somali capital on Wednesday.
Al Shabaab, which wants to topple the government it says is a puppet of Western powers, has frequently launched bomb and gun attacks in Mogadishu and promised more attacks after losing control of a major coastal stronghold this month.
"We heard a huge blast followed by gunfire," said Ahmed Idris who was near the Village Market restaurant close to the blast. A tea shop and a pharmacy bore the brunt of the damage.
Idris said several mortar shells landed in the area just before the blast.
By Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU, Oct 15 (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and several wounded when a car bomb planted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab exploded near restaurants on a busy street in the Somali capital on Wednesday.
Al Shabaab, which wants to topple the government it says is a puppet of Western powers, has frequently launched bomb and gun attacks in Mogadishu and promised more attacks after losing control of a major coastal stronghold this month.
"We heard a huge blast followed by gunfire," said Ahmed Idris who was near the Village Market restaurant close to the blast. A tea shop and a pharmacy bore the brunt of the damage.
Idris said several mortar shells landed in the area just before the blast.