Car Bomb in Somali Capital Mogadishu Kills Six, 20 Wounded: Police Officer

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – A car bomb explosion in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday killed six and wounded 20 others and the death toll was likely to rise, a police officer said.

The bomb went off on the busy Maka al Mukaram road, police said, while a Reuters witness said the blast was followed by big clouds of smoke visible in sky.

“So far we know six civilians died and 20 others were injured. They were mostly pedestrians while others were shopping,” the police officer said. “Death toll may rise. Most of the injured ones are very serious,” Major Mohamed Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters.

Earlier, a Reuters reporter at the scene of the blast had counted four bodies lying on the ground. Photographs taken by Reuters showed three destroyed cars on the road, with two still burning.

It was not clear who was responsible for the blast.