Somali Minister of Information Mohamed Abdi Hayir confirmed the attack, saying that it occurred when security officials were meeting in a hotel close to the Presidential Palace.
No fewer than 10 people were killed in Mogadishu, Somalia on Tuesday when a car bomb exploded near the Presidential Palace.
The Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on its radio station, Radio Andaluz. The group claimed its attack had killed 15 soldiers.
Somali Minister of Information Mohamed Abdi Hayir confirmed the attack, saying that it occurred when security officials were meeting in a hotel close to the Presidential Palace. According to him, one minister and a few journalists were injured in the attack.
Police believe that the hotel, the SYL, was likely al-Shabaab’s target. Another nearby hotel was severely damaged by the explosion, police said.
“The blast killed 10 including soldiers and civilians and 30 others were wounded,” Mohamed Ali, a police officer, disclosed to Reuters.
Witnesses reported hearing gunfire shortly after the blast.
This attack comes just one week after al-Shabaab militants attacked a restaurant in the capital, killing 10 people. The group has been at war with the Somali government and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) since 2006.
