Abdirashid Abdi Diis, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
At least five children were confirmed dead and more than 10 others were fatally wounded after a powerful explosive device with which they were playing went off in Bal'ad area, Somalia's central region of middle Shabelle, an official said. The children were said to have had fun with what described an anti-tank mine near their Dugsi -a local name referred to school that teaches the Qu'ran -before it detonated itself.
Speaking to the local media the area’ chief Mr Abdi Jinow Alasow said the victims had picked up the volatile around and started playing with it until it went off.
“It was a powerful explosion and the bomb went off as the children were playing with it.”
“At least five children were killed and 10 others were injured. The death toll could go up because there are many victims with grave injuries.” Hiiran online has reported.
The area, a few kilometres away in the north of country ‘s capital , Mogadishu, is under control of the embattled government security personnel with help of their peacekeeping colleagues of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISON) soldiers since Islamist rebel group Al-shabab withdrew its fighters there at the beginning of the year.
Mr Alasow also raised a concern that the area is highly in need of decontamination and removal of explosives since he said there are proliferation of abandoned dangerous materials everywhere.
Somalia’s has been without a central government since 1991 when former president Mohamed Siyad Barre administration collapsed, leaving behind deadly inter-ethnic clashes and internal strife politics.
though in this incident the age of the victims are yet to be reported ,culturally Somali children as young are three are enrolled to Dugsi to learn the recitation of the Quran and become graduates as the age of seven .
This is not the first tragedy of its kind in which the landmines are killing school children in the Horn of Africa nation, Somalia.
At least five children were confirmed dead and more than 10 others were fatally wounded after a powerful explosive device with which they were playing went off in Bal'ad area, Somalia's central region of middle Shabelle, an official said. The children were said to have had fun with what described an anti-tank mine near their Dugsi -a local name referred to school that teaches the Qu'ran -before it detonated itself.
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