Terrorists affiliated with al-Qaida in Somalia used a truck bomb to kill 12 people outside a hotel hosting a security conference near the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab, al-Qaida’s Somali sister organization, claimed it was behind the deadly blast that also caused extensive damage to the Somali Youth League (SYL) Hotel. Among the many injured in the terrorist attack are several journalists and politicians, including cabinet ministers.
Many of those hurt in the blast are in critical condition, according to Dr. Mohamed Aden of the Medina Hospital. As a result, the number of casualties will likely grow. Al-Shabaab attacks, particularly suicide bombings, have been on the rise.
The terrorist organization recently murdered 20 people in dual suicide bombings Aug. 21. A truck and car were the weapons of choice, which went after local government authorities and then the medical personnel trying to treat those affected by the initial attack. Al-Shabaab managed to kill 13 people in July, when two of their suicide bombers, one of whom was a former member of the country’s parliament, attacked an African Union base.
Somalia has elections in October, in which members of parliament will pick the next leader of the African country. The current government is protected by African Union soldiers, as well as the country’s military, and is supported by the United Nations.
It has been five years since Al-Shabaab fighters were driven out of Mogadishu. The Islamic extremist terrorists have been looking for a way to get back in and take out the country’s government ever since.
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