The notorious terror group Al-Shabaab is responsible for the several attacks taking place in Somalia in recent months.
On Thursday, they were linked to another bombing that took place at around 7:30 a.m. in Mogadishu's Hodan district, where former President Abdikasim Salat Hassan currently resides.
According to reports, the terrorist group targeted a United Nations security convoy that was passing near two schools in the area. The tragic incident reportedly took the lives of eight civilians and injured 17 individuals, 13 of which are students.
Victims of the bombing speak out
One of the students, who was hit on the head by a brick, detailed the incident that took place while he was in his classroom. Abdisalan Omar Ibrahim, 13, said that he was about to write his note in history class when he heard an explosion followed by the screams of his classmates. Shortly after the incident, Ibrahim and his classmates were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Mohamed Hussein, a nurse at the nearby Osman Hospital, said that he was pulled out from rubble following the explosion.
"Our hospital walls collapsed. Opposite us is a school that also collapsed. I do not know how many died," Hussein said via Al Jazeera.
Mohamed Malick Fall, the regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa for U.N. children's fund UNICEF, expressed his disappointment over what happened.
Fall said that schools are a place where students should be kept safe at all times. Unfortunately, the tragic incident took place without any regard for the youth's wellbeing.
Notorious terrorist group Al-Shabaab takes responsibility for attacks
According to reports, there has been a string of bombings by the notorious terrorist group. And they have been targeting the Somalia military and the African Union-mandated AMISOM force that helps protect the government.
In March, a deadly car explosion took the lives of 20 people and injured 30 others after the terrorist group targeted the popular Luul Yemeni restaurant.
Weeks earlier, a car explosion also took place near the Somalian presidential palace. One person was killed, and at least ten others were injured.
In January, another bombing took place at Mogadishu's Afrik Hotel gate, where Mohamed Nur Galal, a former Somali defense minister, was killed.
Last week, a well-known Somali journalist was also killed by a member of the Al-Shabaab group. Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled worked for the government-owned Radio Mogadishu. He also covered the notorious terrorist group extensively.
His cousin, Abdullahi Nur, told reporters that the journalist was killed right after leaving a restaurant. Guled died while he was being rushed to the hospital.
The notorious terrorist group Al-Shabaab confirmed their involvement in all the recent attacks, and they are once again being tied to the most recent bombing, according to CNN.
According to Reuters, Al-Shabaab has been fighting Somalia's central government, and they have also been trying to seek power to impose their interpretation of Islam's sharia law. A representative from the government of Somalia has not released a statement following the incident.
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