Police in the Somali capital Mogadishu say a car bomb exploded at a busy checkpoint early Saturday, killing at least 5. Casualty numbers are widely expected to rise.
A source in Mogadishu tells CGTN the blast occurred at approximately 7:42am local time.
Somalia’s Ministry of Information says the victims are likely in the dozens. Witnesses say students on their way to school were among the targets of the blast, which took place at a security and taxation checkpoint just Mogadishu.
Early reports from emergency responders, authorities and security experts indicate the vehicle-borne IED attack could be the deadliest incident in Somalia all year.
The war-torn Horn of Africa country continues to be riven by violence between government forces, al-Shabbab fighters and other armed groups.
On Monday, al-Shabaab gunmen killed 7 Somali soldiers in an attack on a military base in the southwestern Bay region.
Earlier this month, the group targeted a popular Mogadishu hotel near the presidential palace, killing four.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s bombing.
