MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 10 soldiers have been killed and 2 others injured on Thursday in roadside bomb explosion in southern Somalia, a witness and police said.
The explosion tore through a Somali military vehicle carrying soldiers near Wanlaweyne town, some 90km northwest of the capital of Mogadishu, a witness, Harun Mohamed said.
Mohamed says the blast killed several military soldiers on board near the town, while heading to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
“I saw blood and body parts littered on the ground. Some of the targeted soldiers were creaming, shortly after the explosion”, he said.
Somali police officer, Hassan Hussein said that the explosion had killed 10 soldiers, including a Frontier Commander of the 6th Brigade, Mukhtar Mohamed.
“The explosion happened near Wanlaweyne town as the soldiers were returning from Bailidogle airbase and heading to Mogadishu”, Hussein said.
He says the victims had been taken into Bailidogle military base for medical treatment.
Somali reinforcements arrived at scene of the explosion, and launched an investigation, arresting a man, on suspicion of being involved in the attack.
No group says it carried out the explosion, but such attacks are often claimed by Al Shabaab linked Al Qaeda.
The attack comes a day after suicide explosion killed 15 people and injured more than 10 others in a market for the stimulant leaf khat in southern Somalia.
Reporting by Abdirisak Mohamud Tuuryare from Mogadishu, Somalia
