Hiiraan Online
By Shafi’i Mohyaddin
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Hospital sources said that those killed in the attack include three of the slain official’s body guards and pedestrians were crossing the road at the KM4 Junction in central Mogadishu when the explosion occurred on Saturday afternoon.
A security official who spoke on condition of anonymity told HOL that the device was attached to Mr. Hilowle's vechicle and detonated remotely. However, some witnesses describe it as a roadside bomb attack.
Security forces have cordoned off area after the attack as ambulance rushed to the scene and collected the bodies of at least ten people including the former government official, who's body witnesses say was "burnt beyond recognition".
“It was very huge explosion that could be heard throughout the city—the explosion caused civilian casualties including deaths and injuries” one eye witness Aden Ali told HOL by telephone.
Meanwhile, the Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack accusing the slain official for working with what they described as ‘foreign spy agencies’ based at the Halane compound southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Al Shabab has behind the most recent spate of attacks that has compromised the security in Mogadishu including the assasinations of 2 MP's within 24 each other last month.
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