Two suicide bombings shook Somalia on Saturday. The Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
The location of the attacks: Two suicide attacks were carried out in front of the Ministry of Education on Saturday.
(dpa) At least 120 people were killed in the worst terrorist attack in Somalia in around five years. 300 other people were injured, according to the police, more than 150 people are still receiving medical treatment, it was said on Monday afternoon. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Sunday when he visited the scene of the crime that the number of victims is likely to rise.
Suicide bombers detonated two car bombs in front of the Ministry of Education in the center of the capital Mogadiscio on Saturday, the police said. The second explosive device was detonated when first responders arrived. The Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Most of the victims were civilians, according to police. Four attackers were involved in the attack. Two of them tried to storm the ministry building but were killed by security forces. The timing of the assassination did not seem to have been chosen at random, it said. A three-day government conference had just come to an end, which was about stepping up the fight against terrorism.
Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa with around 16 million inhabitants, has been rocked by attacks and violence for years. The Sunni terrorist group Al-Shabab controls large parts of central and southern Somalia, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. The terrorists are struggling for dominance in the country, often targeting civilians, government officials, businessmen and journalists. The government in Mogadiscio has been conducting a military offensive against Al-Shabab for several months. With the support of armed clans and civilians, the Somali military has recently been able to gain large amounts of territory.
“I lost three close relatives,” said a survivor at the site of the attacks of the German Press Agency. “We have so far searched in vain for other relatives,” he added. According to a police spokesman, it was the deadliest attack in Somalia since 2017, when a truck loaded with explosives exploded in almost the same place in Mogadiscio. More than 500 people were killed then.
According to experts, many young men join the extremists less for religious reasons than for financial reasons. In addition, the militia often attack villages and force the residents to take an oath of allegiance.
A 22,000-strong African Union (AU) force is supporting the Somali armed forces in the fight against the terrorists. The USA assured Somalia further support in the fight against terrorism after the bomb attacks. National Security Advisor in the White House, Jake Sullivan, expressed his condolences to the country on Monday night.