MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least one civilian has died and five others, including two lawmakers from Hirshabelle state parliament wounded on Saturday in an explosion in Jowhar town, some 91km north of capital Mogadishu.
Saturday’s explosion, which was a landmine, occurred at a café shop in Kulmis neighborhood where members of parliament were sipping tea, a witness said.
Security forces arrived at the scene of the blast while rescue workers took the victims into a hospital in the town.
Al Shabab, an al Qaeda linked group has claimed the responsibility for the explosion.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the HirShabelle State parliament Abdulhakim Lukman Haji Mohamed condemned Saturday’s bomb blast.
Mohamed described the blast attack as “terrorist act”.
He wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He also urged the security agencies to take immediate action to curb acts of terrorism and to apprehend the perpetrators of the explosion.
For the past years, Jowhar was the scene of frequent Al-Shabaab attacks and assassinations against Hirshabelle officials, security force members, and MPs due to lax security.
