President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said on Sunday that the number of fatalities from the twin car bombs in the Somali city of Mogadishu, which were claimed by Al-Shabaab Islamists, had increased to 100, eliciting criticism from the nation’s foreign partners.
After visiting the bomb site, he said that “so far, the number of those who died has reached 100 and 300 are injured, and the figure for both the dead and wounded continues to climb.”
A statement from the Islamist organization Al-Shabaab, which is connected to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack in which two explosives-packed cars exploded minutes apart close to the city’s busy Zobe intersection, followed by gunfire. They said they had intended to attack the country’s ministry of education.
The midday explosions broke windows and tore through the walls of surrounding buildings, scattering shrapnel and spewing smoke and dust into the air.
The brutal siege was promptly condemned by Somalia’s friends, with expressions of solidarity coming from Turkey, the United States, the African Union, and the UN.
According to police spokesperson Sadik Dudishe, victims of the assault included women, children, and the elderly.
“Mothers were murdered by the brutal terrorists. On Saturday, he said that some of the victims “killed with their children stuck on their backs. The terrorists were prevented from murdering additional “innocent people and schoolchildren.”
Police officer Adan Mohamed said on Sunday that he had trouble sleeping the night before due to the horrific sight.
The bloodiest assault in the unrest-stricken nation, which left 512 people dead and more than 290 injured, occurred at the same major intersection where the incident occurred.
The same innocent individuals were engaged, and Mohamud called the occurrence “historic,” adding that it took happened in the same location.
“This is incorrect. Hopefully, they won’t be able to cause another Zobe catastrophe “He was talking about Al-Shabaab.
Shop owner Mohamed Jama said that when the massive blasts occurred, he was with four other guys.
His store, which is close to a bank, crumbled, and the glass from its smashed windows pierced the men’s skin.
He told AFP from the hospital: “We bled there for a few minutes. One of us suffered significant wounds.”
The devastating terrorist act, in particular its despicable targeting of the Somali Ministry of Education and first responders, was denounced by the White House on Sunday.
Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations, “extends his profound sympathies to the families of the dead, who include United Nations workers,” according to a statement sent by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
The United Nations mission in Somalia committed to fight terrorism “resolutely alongside all Somalis.”
The AU Transition Mission in Somalia, which took the place of the former AMISOM peacekeeping force, tweeted late Saturday that “these assaults emphasize the urgency and crucial necessity of the continuing military effort to further destroy Al-Shabaab.”
Pope Francis also expressed his sympathies to the victims of the horrible assault.
Following his customary Angelus prayer in Saint Peter’s Square, he remarked, “Let us pray for the victims of the assault in Mogadishu in which more than 100 people lost their lives, among them (were) many children.
The World Health Organization said that it was prepared to assist in the government’s care for the traumatized victims and treatment of the wounded.
Since around 15 years ago, Al-Shabaab has been trying to topple the precarious foreign-backed government in Mogadishu.
Although an African Union army drove its members out of the city in 2011, the organization still holds areas of the countryside and continues to conduct deadly attacks on military and civilian targets.
The organization attacked the well-known Hayat hotel in Mogadishu with guns and bombs for 30 hours in August, leaving 117 people injured and 21 dead.
After the August siege, Mohamud, who was elected in May, pledged to launch “all-out war” on the Islamists.
He warned people to avoid jihadist-held regions in September, claiming that the military and tribal militia were stepping up their offensives against them.
Despite international attempts to weaken Al-leadership Shabaab’s and strengthen Somalia’s own security forces, the AU is attempting to assist them in assuming primary responsibility for the nation’s security by the end of 2024.
However, the gang last week claimed credit for an assault on a hotel in the coastal city of Kismayo that left nine people dead and 47 others injured.
Since the overthrow of president Siad Barre’s military administration in 1991, Somalia has been engulfed in anarchy.
After his removal, Al-Shabaab gained power and there was a civil war.
Along with the insurgency, Somalia is experiencing the worst drought in more than 40 years, much like its neighbors in the Horn of Africa. Livestock and crops have been destroyed by four unsuccessful wet seasons.
Although the country is one of the most susceptible to climate change, it is especially unable to handle the problem as it fights the deadly Islamist insurgency.