Deadly explosion rocks Somali capital Mogadishu

At least five people have been killed after a large explosion rocked Somali capital Mogadishu in the early hours on Thursday, witnesses and officials have said.

The blast near the K4 junction in the heart of the city triggered a plume of smoke, witnesses said, adding that they heard sounds of gunfire.

Hussein said he had been pulled from the rubble of a collapsed ceiling. “Our hospital walls collapsed. Opposite us is a school that also collapsed. I do not know how many died,” he said.

The blast collapsed the walls of nearby schools and left cars mangled.

The al-Qaeda-linked armed group said in a statement carried by its Andalus radio that it targeted Western officials being escorted by the African Union peacekeeping convoy.

Al-Shabab has been fighting Somalia’s central government for years to establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law.

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. The U.S. early this year said its troop withdrawal from Somalia was complete.

A long-delayed presidential vote was meant to take place in February but now looks set to be held next year.

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