3 killed, several injured in twin blasts in Somali capital Mogadishu

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – At least three people were killed and several others wounded in twin explosions in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday evening.

The bombs were planted along the roadside frequently used by locals in Mogadishu’s southeastern district of Kahda.

Bombs were planted along the main road between Mogadishu's southeastern districts of Dharkinley and Kahda, which is frequently used by people.

A security official in Mogadishu told Anadolu, on the condition of anonymity due to media restrictions, that the death toll could rise given the number of people using the road in the evening.

He said the security forces rushed to the scene, cordoning off the road for traffic and conducting investigations.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the twin blasts, but the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the capital in the recent past.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on the group.