Car Bomb Explodes Outside Somali Restaurant, 5 People Die While Watching Euro Finals

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A car bomb exploded outside a restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday, July 14 evening, killing five people and injuring 20 others.

The bomb explosion occurred while visitors were watching the final of Euro 2024 football on TV. Police said the car bomb was masterminded by a rebel group.

The bomb destroyed 10 cars and damaged several buildings nearby, in a heavily fortified area near the Presidential Palace, a Reuters reporter said.

Militant Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on its affiliated radio station. Militan said the bombing targeted a place where security officers and government employees met at night.

Islamist groups that once controlled large parts of Somalia, fought for years to implement a rigorous Islamic interpretation in Somalia.

The rebels have frequently launched deadly attacks and attacks on Mogadishu and other areas controlled by the federal government in the past two years, although they have lost most of their territory to government forces and their allies.