Somalia: Nine die in roadside bomb attack

  1. Posted on Wednesday 1 September 2010 - 10:00
    Muhyadin
    Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    At least nine civilians were killed and thirty others wounded in a roadside bomb that hit a minibus in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The explosion ripped through the bus as it plied the only road connecting the divided city which is also used by the Somali force and AU peacekeepers.
    SOMALIA-Fresh fighting forces thousands to flee
    The roadside bomb exploded near the former compound of Jale Siad military academy, south of Mogadishu, where Burundian peacekeepers have settled.

    A Somali security commander Nur Hassan said the minibuses were carrying only civilians.

    A minibus driver, who witnessed the blast, said the scene was horrifying.

    No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion but Somali ministry of information accused islamist rebels for the attack.

    Separately, at least 17 people were killed in a mortar shelling incident between African Union (AU) peacekeepers and Al-Shabaab fighters near the main market.

    Ali Musa, director of a local ambulance service said his service had collected 17 bodies and 61 injured people since Monday night.

    Bakara is the main marker in southern Somalia but government and AMISOM officials say it also a major stronghold of Al-Shabaab, the militant movement linked to al Qaeda.

    More than 80 civilians have been killed in the clash since Monday.

    The fighting began Monday, soon after Al-Shabaab spokesman declared a "massive war" on what he labeled "invaders," an apparent reference to the African Union forces that protect the weak Somali government.

    The rebel militias control most of southern Somalia and Mogadishu where government soldiers run a few block in the capital.

    More than 6,300 African Union peacekeepers are deployed in Mogadishu but can do little more than guard the airport and presidential palace.

Latest News

  1. AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02Over 40 casualty cases were recorded Wednesday night at Zambia's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after post-match celebrations turned violent …
  2. African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02In 2003 the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the continental development plan, initiated the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM…
  3. Combating HIV infections among African women08/02With a lack of knowledge and power, African women continue to bear the brunt of HIV infections.
  4. Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) who traditionally relied on seed companies for all their seeds are now bulking their own legume seeds for their farms.
  5. Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02Vendors in Kalonga, the Northern district of Malawi, on Wednesday petitioned the District Commissioner to flash out all Chinese nationals who are doin…
  6. Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02While the Harare City council is busy engaging in running battles with city vendors, Health Minister has called for authorities to devise ways to form…
  7. Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02The Nigerian Nobel Prize winner for literature said heads of states who are trying to cling to power suffer the same fate as the dictators who were sw…
  8. AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02Following a deadlock during Monday's African Union elections, with a tie between former wife to South African president Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs …
  9. Senegal in turmoil as protest intensifies01/02Hundreds of anti-government protesters Tuesday gathered in the central Dakar, Senegal to show their dissatisfaction over the incumbent president Abdou…
  10. Zimbabwe’s inflation still favourable -…01/02Zimbabwe's annual headline inflation still compared favourably with economies in the region, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said o…
  11. AFCON 2012: Sudan qualifies after four decades31/01The Sudanese national team has sealed a historic win over the Stallions of Burkina Faso.
  12. Senegalese opposition to intensify protests31/01Opposition and civil society groups in Senegal have vowed to increase their fight against incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade's presidential bid.
  13. Malawi: Rights coalition condemn stripping of…30/01The 39 members of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition based in 18 African countries have vehemently condemned the stripping of wo…
  14. Kenya to deworm five million children annually30/01Kenya launched the second phase of its national deworming programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012, aiming to treat 5 million childre…
  15. Benin’s Yayi Boni is AU’s new…30/01President Yayi Boni of Benin Republic has been elected chairperson of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa
News archive