By Canadian Press

Car bomb in Somali capital kills at least 5, wounds dozens

Dec 27, 2019 | 11:24 PM

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A car bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Saturday morning, killing at least five people, police said.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the blast targeted a tax collection centre during the morning rush hour in Mogadishu as Somalia returned to work after its weekend.

Dozens of wounded people were rushed to hospitals, including children. Among them were several university students who had been travelling in a bus, Hussein said. Photos from the scene showed the mangled frames of vehicles.

A large black plume of smoke rose above the capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often carries out such attacks. The extremist group was pushed out of Mogadishu several years ago but continues to target high-profile areas such as checkpoints and hotels in the seaside city.

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The attack again raises concern about the readiness of Somali forces to take over responsibility for the Horn of Africa country’s security in the coming months from an African Union force.

Abdi Guled, The Associated Press