This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, a devastating blast rocked the headquarters of Mogadishu's mayor, leaving a trail of casualties in its wake.
A security official, Mahdi Abdirahman, confirmed the incident, stating that the blast occurred inside the building but the exact cause was still unknown.
"The blast occurred inside but we are not sure what exactly caused it, some reports we are getting indicate it was caused by a suicide bomber... and there are casualties," Abdirahman said.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with people fleeing the area and some with shrapnel wounds.
"The blast was very heavy, and I saw people, fleeing some with shrapnel wounds outside the Banadir administration headquarters," said witness Mohamud Shariif.
Mogadishu has been a frequent target of attacks by the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab Islamist group, which has been fighting to topple the Somali government for over a decade.
