This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On December 28, 2019, a devastating car bomb exploded at a checkpoint in a busy intersection in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, killing at least 30 people and injuring many more.
The blast occurred during morning rush hour, causing widespread destruction and chaos in the area.
According to police officer Ibrahim Mohamed, who was quoted by news agency AFP, 'The blast was devastating, and I could confirm more than 20 civilians killed, there were many more wounded.'
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb, but al-Shabab militants, who have been waging an insurgency in Somalia for over 10 years, have a history of carrying out attacks in the country.
Al-Shabab, a group allied to Al-Qaeda, was forced out of Mogadishu in 2011 but still controls areas of the country.
Witnesses described the scene as 'carnage,' with one witness, Sakariye Abdukadir, saying, 'All I could see was scattered dead bodies … amid the blast and some of them burned beyond recognition.'
Some reports suggested the death toll could be as high as 90, but this information has not been independently confirmed.
Just weeks earlier, five people were killed when al-Shabab attacked a Mogadishu hotel popular with politicians, diplomats, and military officers.
