The death toll from a devastating truck bomb explosion in the central Somali town of Beledweyne has climbed to 18, according to a senior regional official.
The attack, which targeted a security checkpoint in a residential area, also left 40 people wounded.
Abdirahman Dahir Gure, the Interior Minister of Hirshabelle state, where Beledweyne is situated, released the updated death toll on Saturday. The explosion occurred as Somalia grapples with ongoing violence from various armed groups.
“Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” according to The Associated Press.
Initially, a local police official had reported 10 casualties in the explosion. The attack took place as government forces have intensified their operations against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab armed group.
“It was a truck loaded with explosive devices that forcefully passed through the government-manned checkpoint, and a pick-up vehicle belonging to security personnel was chasing it when it exploded,” Witness Abdikadir Arba, who was approximately 200 meters (656 feet) away from the scene and one of the first responders, recounted the incident.
Also Read: Somalia Seeks Three-Month Delay in Removal of AU Troops
Numerous videos circulated on social media, some verified by Al Jazeera, depicting local residents searching through the rubble of buildings destroyed in the blast. Police officer Ahmed Aden informed Reuters that buildings and shops near the explosion site had been reduced to rubble.
“I do not know what to say, all the kiosks are now just rubble. I can’t trace my niece.” Halima Nur, who was near the blast site, expressed her distress.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Beledweyne, which is situated in the Hiran region of central Somalia and has recently experienced clashes between the military and the al-Shabab armed group.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
