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Two killed in Mogadishu car bombing
The Al-Shabaab Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack via its news agency, according to the SITE intelligence group. AFP PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The Al-Qaeda affiliated group was largely driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities.
Two people were killed and five wounded on Tuesday when a car packed with explosives was detonated near the ministry of petroleum in the Somali capital, a security official said.
Mohamed Abdullahi Tulah, a regional security official, said the vehicle was parked at a petrol station in front of the ministry's offices in Mogadishu when it was detonated.
"It was hidden inside the petrol station parking where it went off, two civilians were killed and five others wounded in the blast," he told a press conference.
A witness, Dahir Adan, said one of those killed was a woman who was selling tea close to the blast scene.
"The blast was very heavy but luckily it did not cause fire destroying the petrol station and the casualty (toll) was minimal," he added.
The Al-Shabaab Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack via its news agency, according to the SITE intelligence group.
The Al-Qaeda affiliated group was largely driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and has lost many of its strongholds. But it retains control of large rural swathes of the country and continues to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities.
