• Somalia suicide bombing: 11 slain down, including a local official

    International
    Somalia suicide bombing: 11 slain down, including a local official

    People at the scene report that a suicide bomber in southern Somalia detonated himself at the entrance to a government building, resulting in the deaths of 11 people.


    Digital Desk: According to evidence presented, at least 11 people were killed when one suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to a government building in southern Somalia.


    District Commissioner Abdillahi Ali Waafow was among those killed in Wednesday's attack, according to Mohamed Osmaan Yariisoow, secretary-general of the Marka town administration in the Lower Shabelle region.


    "We found an unknown man approached us and blew himself up minutes after we had concluded a meeting at the district headquarters and were on our way out," Yariisoow said, adding that the commissioner's bodyguards, traditional elders, and women were also killed.


    The Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab claimed the attack.


    Marka is located about 100 kilometres south of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital.


    Witness Hassan Abdullahi confirmed to a news agency over the phone that 11 people were killed, including the district commissioner.


    "I heard a huge explosion. I dashed toward the explosion. "I have seen several bodies and remains of human flesh scattered on the ground with my own eyes," Witness Hassan said.