Least 35 people were killed in a double car bombing in central hiraan province, somalia, on wednesday, according to police. the al-qaeda linked group al-shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted the home of the district commissioner and a local mp. witnesses reported that women and children were among the dead, and that the blasts were so powerful that people far away from the explosion sites were wounded by flying fragments.
Attack occurred in the town of mahas, located in the hiraan province of somalia. according to a local deputy police commissioner, most of the dead were civilians. the blast was so powerful that it could be felt from far away and left a large number of people wounded.
Attack was carried out by al-shabab, an al-qaeda linked militant group. in august, president hassan sheikh mohamud declared “total war” against the islamist militants following an attack on a popular mogadishu hotel, which saw more than 20 people die. al-shabab also claimed responsibility for a twin car bomb explosion near a busy junction in mogadishu that killed at least 100 people. despite their losses of territory, al-shabab has continued to carry out attacks in central and southern somalia, and the african union forces and us funds have been allocated to assist somalia in its fight against al-shabab.
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