Somalia suicide bomber kills five Turkish nationals
- The attack, claimed by the al-Shabab terrorist group, specifically targeted Turkish citizens in Somalia, police said
- The attack came hours after the government announced an air strike on one of al-Shabab’s radio studios
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said two Turkish nationals were killed in the bombing on Saturday.
Three more Turkish citizens were among the 14 wounded. All of the wounded are undergoing treatment in Mogadishu. None of them are in critical condition, the minister added.
Somali officials did not initially report any Turkish casualties, confirming only Somali deaths and the fact that one Turkish national was wounded.
“Among the deaths are the suicide bomber, a civilian and two Somali security forces,” said senior Somali police officer Ali Hassan.
Suicide bombing kills six, including military officials, in central Somalia
The blast hit a construction site along the road between the capital and the Afgoye district. Turkish engineers and construction workers were working on a road construction project.
Al-Shabab also claims to have killed at least one Turkish national, but Somali officials refuted this.
Turkey is supporting the Somali army with training and equipment. Al-Shabab, an Islamist militia, considers Turkey an invader in the East African nation.
Saturday’s attack came hours after Somali government spokesperson Ismael Mukhtar Omar announced an air strike on one of al-Shabab’s radio studios in the village of Kuunyabarow, in the southern Lower Shabelle province.
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Despite reports of damage, no casualties were recorded.
The spokesperson refused to comment on whether the Somali government had coordinated the air strike with its US counterparts.
In a separate statement, the US Africa Command said two coordinated air strikes struck al-Shabab compounds on Friday.
“Our strikes help keep these terrorists off balance to help our partners then address deeper problems such as governance and development,” US Air Force Major General Dagvin Anderson said in a statement.
