Somalis are in grief after at least 100 people died and 300 others were injured in the wake of two car bombs in the nation's capital of Mogadishu on Saturday, an act of violence that al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for.
The Pentagon describes the terrorist group as the "most kinetically active al-Qaeda network in the world." The group's latest attacks, which resulted in a tragic loss of life, targeted Somalia's education ministry.
Somalia Car Bombings
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in May, recently declared "total war" on the al-Shabaab group, saying on Saturday that the death toll of the latest bombings could rise.
The official said that the people who have been massacred included mothers, their children, fathers, students, and businessmen. The two bombings are considered the deadliest attacks to hit Mogadishu since 2017 when a truck bomb at the same time resulted in the death of more than 500 people, as per Fox News.
The United States military has been coordinating strikes with the Somalian government to fight back against the terrorist group this year. This includes an airstrike that was conducted earlier this month, resulting in the death of a top official, Abdullahi Nadir, who was in line to replace al-Shabaab's leader.
Police captain Nur Farah said that the first explosion struck the education ministry and the second blast happened as ambulances arrived and people gathered to help the victims of the initial strike.
According to Rappler, one law enforcement personnel who was guarding the ministry, who gave his name as Hassan, said that he saw at least 12 bodies and 20 others wounded. State news agency SONNA noted that the blasts had caused "scores of civilian casualties," which included independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona.
Read Also: India Bridge Collapse Videos Show Devastating Aftermath of Tragedy That Killed At Least 78
Terrorist Group
A journalist who was near the blast site noted that the two explosions occurred within minutes of each other and resulted in smashed windows. There was blood from the victims that covered the tarmac right outside of the building.
In a statement, Abdikadir Abdirahman of the Aamin Ambulance Service said that the second blast burnt their vehicle as they came to transport the casualties from the first explosion. He added that the blast resulted in a driver and a first aid worker being injured.
The al-Shabaab terrorist group has been spending more than a decade fighting in Somalia against the government in an attempt to topple it and establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of sharia law.
The attack also occurred on a day when the country's president, prime minister, and other senior officials were meeting to discuss expanded efforts to combat violent extremism. Hassan called out the group by name and described the attacks as "cruel and cowardly."
Hassan Osman, a volunteer at the Medina hospital, noted that out of the at least 30 fatalities brought to the hospital, the majority were women. There and elsewhere, frantic relatives peeked under plastic sheeting and into body bags, searching for their loved ones who may have been involved in the incident, the Associated Press reported.
Related Article : Iran's Revolutionary Guards Chief Warns Protesters: 'Do Not Come to the Streets Again'; Canada PM Trudeau Joins Demonstrations
