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Turkish health minister arrives in Somalia

October 16, 2017 at 12:40 pm

Turkish Minister of Health, Ahmet Demircan (C), visits the wounded from a truck bomb that left at least 276 people dead, in Mogadishu, Somalia on 16 October 2017 [Sadak Mohamed/Anadolu Agency]

The Turkish minister of health arrived in Somalia today to accelerate the support mission for victims of Saturday’s truck bombing attack, the Anadolu Agency reported.

A 22 person delegation, including a medical team, is assisting Ahmed Demircan.

“Based on instructions given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, we are working to offer assistance by providing medical aid and transporting casualties to Turkey where they will receive the necessary care,” Damircan said.

Saturday’s truck bombing killed 276 and injured more than 300 others, the Minister of Information Abdirahman Omar Osman confirmed earlier today, however it is expected that the number of deaths will rise to more than 300.

A Turkish aircraft loaded with medical aid and emergency services staff landed in Mogadishu early this morning, including 13 members of the Turkish Red Crescent.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliated armed group operate in southern Somalia, and regularly conduct improvised explosive attacks in the capital, Mogadishu. Daesh in Somalia, an off-shoot of the group based in Syria and Iraq, also operate in northern Somalia.

Turkey has a strong relationship with Somalia, and earlier this month opened its largest military base in Mogadishu. Some 200 Turkish troops are deployed to train the Somali national army to neutralise threats of terrorism.

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo declared a three-day morning period for the victims of the attack.

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