Death Toll Tops 200 in Weekend Bombings in Somalia Two blasts in Mogadishu came hours apart; Somalian president calls for more international support to fight Islamic militants By Nicholas Bariyo
https://www.wsj.com/articles/death-toll-is-more-than-200-in-weekend-bombings-in-somalia-1508088160
The death toll from twin bombings in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu climbed above 200 over the weekend, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the country since an Islamist insurgency started a decade ago.
A truck bomb exploded at a busy intersection on Saturday, ripping through several buildings, including hotels and government offices, the African Union Mission in Somalia said.
Hours later, a second explosion hit the suburb of Medina, setting dozens of vehicles on fire.
The two blasts killed at least 231 people, Abdirizak Mohamed, a member of Parliament and former minister of international security, said in a message on Twitter, citing the number of dead counted at two local hospitals he said he visited.
Officials said some 275 people had been injured in the attacks, which followed several months of relative calm in the capital.
The attacks came amid a renewed push from the U.S. to rid Somalia of al Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab militants.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo declared three days of mourning and called for more international support to fight the Islamic militants.
“Terrorism seeks to stop the light of our government,” Mr. Farmaajo said on Sunday, as he inspected the carnage at the scene of the first blast. “We must stand together and oppose terror.”
Emergency workers and police were digging through the rubble of flattened buildings in search of more victims. Hundreds of people waited in the hope of getting news about missing relatives, witnesses said.
At least five Red Crescent volunteers were among those killed in the blast.
The International Federation of the Red Cross warned the death toll could rise.
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