This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/police-bomb-explodes-at-somali-airport-wounding-3-people/2016/03/07/bee0cac6-e467-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Police: Bomb explodes at Somali airport, wounding 3 people Police: Bomb explodes at Somali airport, wounding 3 people
(about 1 hour later)
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Somali police official says a bomb exploded in a piece of luggage at an airport in a central Somali town, wounding three people, including an African Union soldier. MOGADISHU, Somalia — A bomb exploded in a piece of luggage at an airport in a central Somali town, wounding three people, a police official said Monday.
Ahmed Nur, a police officer in the town of Beledweyne, said Monday that the bomb went off at a checkpoint as soldiers searched through bags before passengers were allowed to proceed for boarding. The bomb went off at a checkpoint as soldiers searched through bags before passengers were allowed to board, said Ahmed Nur, a police official in the town of Beledweyne, where the incident happened Monday. An African Union peacekeeper was among the wounded, he said.
There was no an immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but it bore the hallmarks of the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab.
Last month a bomb exploded aboard a commercial passenger jet, creating a hole in the fuselage and blowing out the suspected bomber and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Mogadishu. Last month a bomb exploded aboard a commercial passenger jet, creating a hole in the fuselage, blowing out the suspected bomber and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Mogadishu. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for that attack. Al-Shabab, which is allied to al-Qaida, is waging an insurgency against Somalia’s United Nations-backed government, carrying out deadly attacks in the capital, especially public places frequented by government officials, soldiers and foreigners. Hotels in Mogadishu are often targeted.
Al-Shabab has also carried out attacks on neighboring countries that contribute troops to the African Union peacekeeping force bolstering the Somali government against the extremists.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.