This archive report was first published on 22 July 2019.
On July 22, 2019, a devastating bomb attack shook Somalia's capital Mogadishu, leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
At least 17 people lost their lives, and 28 others were wounded in the blast, which occurred outside a hotel near the international airport, according to medical officials.
The Al Qaeda-linked Islamist group Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, which is a stark reminder of the ongoing conflict in Somalia.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with bodies scattered all over the area. Farah Hussein, a shopkeeper who witnessed the attack, said the blast went off at the first checkpoint on the road that leads to Mogadishu airport.
Somalia has been embroiled in civil war since 1991, when clan warlords overthrew a dictator and then turned on each other.
As the city struggles to come to terms with the latest attack, the international community is calling for an end to the violence and a return to peace.
