Blast in Somalia leaves five dead, dozens injured

A large explosion outside a school in Somalia’s capital on Thursday has killed at least five people, including students, witnesses said.

The terrorist Al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack, AP reported.

The blast sent a plume of smoke above a busy part of Mogadishu during the morning rush hour.

Al-Shabab in a statement carried by its Andalus radio said it targeted Western officials being escorted by the African Union peacekeeping convoy. But a witness, Hassan Ali, told the AP that a private security company was escorting the officials and said he saw four of the security personnel wounded.

The attack occurred as Somalia faces major questions about its political and security future. The AU peacekeeping force was meant to withdraw from the country, but its mission could be extended amid concerns that Somali forces are not ready to assume responsibility for security.

MA/PR