At least 30 people were killed in twin bomb attacks claimed by Al-Shabaab at a busy traffic junction and a nearby restaurant in Baidoa, a city in the south-central Bay region of Somalia. On 28.02.2016 at 5:30 pm two heavy explosives have struck the town.
One was a car bomb detonation at a busy junction and the second one was a reportedly young girl who detonated explosive materials on her body near a restaurant. It has been reported by local media outlet Radio Daslan that the restaurant’s customers were watching today’s Arsenal vs Manchester United football match, and therefore was particularly crowded.
Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attacks. As Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, Al-Shabaab’s military operation spokesman, told Reuters news agency “We targeted government officials and forces.” Abdirahman Ahmed, a witness who was inside the hotel at the time, said gunfire erupted after the explosion.
“The official number of the dead has reached 30 people – all of them civilians – and 61 others have been wounded, 15 of them seriously,” Abdurashid Abdulahi, governor of the Bay region, told the AFP news agency.
Earlier this week on Friday 26th February, Al-Shabaab had launched an attack on the SYL hotel in Mogadishu and a nearby park. Where similarly two explosions took place on friday night leaving at least 15 dead and many injured.
