Car bomb in Somalia kills 6, injures 20

8 years ago

Somalians are seen near a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalians are seen near a vehicle after bomb-laden vehicle attack took place in Mogadishu, Somalia on 30 July 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalian security forces inspect wreckage of a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on June 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalian security forces inspect wreckage of a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

A car bomb explosion in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday killed six and wounded 20 others and the death toll was likely to rise, a police officer said.

The bomb went off on the busy Maka al Mukaram road, police said, while a Reuters witness said the blast was followed by big clouds of smoke visible in sky.

“So far we know six civilians died and 20 others were injured. They were mostly pedestrians while others were shopping,” the police officer said. “Death toll may rise. Most of the injured ones are very serious,” Major Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters.

Read: African Union troops ambushed in Somalia, possibly 39 dead

Earlier, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the blast had counted four bodies lying on the ground. Photographs taken by Reuters showed three destroyed cars on the road, with two still burning.

It was not clear who was responsible for the blast.

The use of car bombs by groups like Al-Shabaab, who are being actively sought out by government and African Union forces, has become quite frequent, with similar bombings taking place in June, early July and just last week.

Somalians are seen near a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalian security forces inspect a vehicle after a bomb-laden vehicle attack took place in Mogadishu, Somalia on 30 July 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalian security forces inspect wreckage of a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalians are seen near a vehicle after bomb-laden vehicle attack took place in Mogadishu, Somalia on 30 July 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]

Somalians are seen near a vehicle at the site after bomb-laden vehicle attack at Waberi district in Mogadishu, Somalia on July 30, 2017 [Sadak Mohamed / Anadolu Agency]