Mogadishu, the capital of the Somalia federal government, was, today, rocked by twin blasts which left scores of people either dead or injured behind.
The two Saturday blasts were minutes apart.
The first shook the foundation of the National Assembly and the Ministry of interior and Internal Security at arm’s length away up the inline at the base of which a bomb-laden car was detonated.
The Sayidka intersection is, at all times, a busy thoroughfare much frequented by government personnel of all levels and parliamentarians. ‘Body Harvest’ which aims at the heart of the government can always be counted, Al Shabaab is known to have declared at dozens of times before which it targeted the same place.
The Sayidka blast, it is reported, claimed the lives of nine people, according to government estimates. More than a dozen, the same report said, were hurt. These modest estimates coming from the government is usually multiplied by at least twice to arrive at more realistic numbers.
The second blast, caused by a silver NOAH van, again laden with explosive materials detonated at KM4 – another very busy intersection.
The second did not claim any lives, the police said – a claim contested by eyewitnesses.
Brigadier General Zakia Hussein, Deputy Commander of the Somalia police forces stated that the driver of the second vehicle was caught and is in police custody.
For some time now, the international community-supported weak government in Mogadishu enjoyed a respite from almost daily blast occurrences for two weeks or so in the past.
Today’s blasts appear to be a forewarning that the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab is rearing its head again and that their presence in the city is to be reckoned with.
