Photo: AFP
Metropolis Desk-
At least 10 people were killed and neighboring houses were destroyed when a truck bomb exploded at a checkpoint in the central Somali town of Beledweyne on Saturday, according to a police officer.
Although the perpetrator of the explosion was typically Al Shabab, it was not immediately evident who was to blame.
Police officer Ahmed Aden told Reuters, “I have seen 10 dead people so far, including soldiers and civilians, and more than a dozen others injured, but the death toll is sure to rise.”
Beledweyne is located in the Hiran region in central Somalia, the scene of recent clashes between the military and Al-Shabab.
Five police officers, among the deceased, Aden claimed, had fired at the truck in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent it from slamming the checkpoint. He stated that the checkpoint, along with nearby homes and stores, had been destroyed.
Reuters was informed by a woman named Halima Nur that her niece and other people had been in a nearby shop and were unable to be reached. “Now that all the kiosks are in ruins, I’m not sure what to say. She said, “I can’t find my niece.
To establish its authority based on a strict application of Islamic sharia law, Al Shabab has been fighting Somalia’s central government for more than ten years.
Source- Arab News
