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Somalia's capital Mogadishu hit by huge explosion | Somalia's capital Mogadishu hit by huge explosion |
(35 minutes later) | |
A suicide bomber has attacked a government office in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, causing a nearby school to collapse, police say. | A suicide bomber has attacked a government office in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, causing a nearby school to collapse, police say. |
The car bomb in Howlwadag district killed three soldiers and injured 14 people, including six children, local officials told BBC Somali. | The car bomb in Howlwadag district killed three soldiers and injured 14 people, including six children, local officials told BBC Somali. |
The blast also damaged nearby houses and blew the roof off a mosque. | The blast also damaged nearby houses and blew the roof off a mosque. |
The militant group al-Shabab, which has waged an insurgency for more than 10 years, said it carried out the attack. | |
Police officer Abdullahi Hussein told Reuters that a suicide bomber had rammed a car into the district office of Howlwadag. | Police officer Abdullahi Hussein told Reuters that a suicide bomber had rammed a car into the district office of Howlwadag. |
Somalia has faced instability and violence since 1991, when the military government was overthrown. | Somalia has faced instability and violence since 1991, when the military government was overthrown. |
The ousting of Mohamed Siad Barre led to a decades-long civil war between rival warlords, and two northern regions - Somaliland and Puntland - effectively broke away from Somalia. | The ousting of Mohamed Siad Barre led to a decades-long civil war between rival warlords, and two northern regions - Somaliland and Puntland - effectively broke away from Somalia. |
Much of the country has effectively been a war zone. | Much of the country has effectively been a war zone. |
A UN-backed unity government was formed in 2012. Al-Shabab has since been driven out of many urban areas but still controls territory in rural regions and carries out gun attacks and bombings on military and civilian targets. | A UN-backed unity government was formed in 2012. Al-Shabab has since been driven out of many urban areas but still controls territory in rural regions and carries out gun attacks and bombings on military and civilian targets. |
The militant group has imposed a strict version of Sharia in areas under its control, including stoning to death women accused of adultery and amputating the hands of thieves. | The militant group has imposed a strict version of Sharia in areas under its control, including stoning to death women accused of adultery and amputating the hands of thieves. |