UPDATE - Turkish president condemns 'vile, treacherous' attack in Somalia

UPDATES WITH PHONE CALL BETWEEN TURKISH, SOMALIAN PRESIDENTS

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - The president of Türkiye on Monday strongly condemned a "heinous" terrorist attack with bomb-laden vehicles in Somalia.

"No reason can be an excuse for killing innocent civilians, children going to school, people praying in mosques," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a meeting with religious officials in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"The perpetrators of the heinous terrorist attack that claimed the lives of more than 100 of our brothers and sisters in Somalia have absolutely no connection with Islam, Sharia, or humanity," Erdogan added.

Two separate bombings claimed by the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group al-Shabaab left scores of casualties on Saturday at a busy intersection in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.

"We condemn this vile and treacherous attack and wish our Somali brothers and sisters to get well soon," Erdogan said, adding that Türkiye would continue to stand with Somalia in difficult times.

"All of these terrorist organizations, whether they are called Daesh, Boko Haram, or FETO, are deviant structures that use our religion for their dirty purposes," he added.

Later on Monday, in a phone call with his Somalian counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Erdogan wished Allah's mercy on those who lost their lives in the attack and a speedy recovery to those injured.

Expressing Türkiye's strong support for Somalia's fight against terrorism, Erdogan told Mohamud that Ankara always stands by Somalia and its people.