A roadside bomb has struck a minibus near Somalia’s capital, killing at least 10 people and wounding 12 others, the government said. The deadly explosion occurred near Lafoole village along the Afgoye-Mogadishu road where the passenger bus was travelling early Sunday. “At least 10 civilians were killed in an explosion at Lafoole area this morning, those who died were all civilians,” the information ministry said in a statement, adding that the victims were on their way to a funeral.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred on a road used frequently by government and security vehicles. Witnesses said the minibus was completely destroyed, and described a horrific scene with everyone on board either dead or wounded and many bodies ripped apart or burned beyond recognition. “I carried four dead people including my father in law,” Nur Haji Ahmed told Reuters from Madina hospital in Mogadishu, where the wounded were taken. He had rushed to the scene after a phone call from a relative.
For more than a decade, al-Shabab has been fighting to overthrow Somalia’s internationally recognised government. The al-Qaeda-linked armed group used to control most parts of the country but, since 2011, its fighters have been pushed out of most large towns and cities including Mogadishu. However, it has continued to carry out deadly suicide bombings and assassinations in the capital and its surrounding areas.
