MOGADISHU, Somalia: The death toll from a car bombing at a cafe in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, has risen to nine, with twenty others wounded, according to security sources.
The explosion occurred at a popular venue where football fans were watching the Euro 2024 final. Mohamed Yusuf, an official from the national security agency, confirmed the updated figures, increasing the initial toll of five casualties reported on Sunday.
“Nine civilians were killed and 20 others wounded in the explosion,” Yusuf stated. Most of the victims were young people enjoying the football match. Thanks to swift action, many escaped by climbing ladders and jumping over the perimeter wall.
Images circulating online show a massive fireball and smoke billowing into the night sky following the blast. Police officer Mohamed Salad, who arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion, reported discovering several bodies under the debris. One of the person stated that five people died outside the building and on the main road, including drivers of vehicles passing by, while four people died inside the restaurant, some of them were retrieved from under the debris.
While no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the Somali National News Agency attributed the attack to Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group. Al-Shabaab has been waging a violent insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for over 17 years and frequently carries out bombings in Mogadishu and other regions of the country.
