Mogadishu Airport Blast: Explosion, Gunfire Heard in Somalia’s Capital

Local Editor

A Somali police officer said a suicide car bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint near Mogadishu's international airport, killing at least three people.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said the car bomber detonated the bomb as security forces were searching cars at the checkpoint, a few hundred meters from the main base of the African Union [AU] peacekeeping headquarters.

The powerful blast blew roofs off nearby buildings.

The checkpoint is close to United Nations [UN] offices and the Peace Hotel, which is often frequented by foreigners and officials.

A second blast and heavy gunfire could also be heard at the checkpoint after the attack, but there were no immediate details.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, the al-Qaida linked Takfiri extremist group al-Shabab often carries out such attacks.

Despite being ousted from most of its key strongholds across large parts of south and central Somalia, the group continues to wage deadly attack across the country.

Somalia's capital had seen frequent bomb attacks at hotels and military checkpoints. The assaults had threatened this Horn of Africa nation's attempts to rebuild from decades of chaos.

The country's presidential election, a key step toward recovery, already had been delayed multiple times because of security and other concerns.

In July at least 13 people died in two car bomb attacks near an entrance to the airport.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team