This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, a blast rocked the offices of Mogadishu's mayor, leaving him and several top government officials wounded, according to his deputy.
Deputy Mayor Mohamed Abdullahi Tulah told state radio that the mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, was being treated for his injuries, along with several commissioners of Mogadishu district.
The explosion occurred at the Banadir district headquarters, where United Nations special envoy James Swan had met with the mayor earlier in the day, according to the mission's Twitter account.
However, UN sources stated that Swan had left the premises by the time of the blast.
Security officials reported that a suicide bomber had entered a hall where the officials were meeting and detonated the blast inside, causing significant damage and casualties.
Witnesses described the blast as 'very heavy,' with people fleeing the scene and some with shrapnel wounds.
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.
