Africa

Al-Shabab Bomb Rocks Somalia's Beledweyne

FILE – Soldiers stand near the wreckage of a car bomb that was detonated at the gates of a government office complex in the capital Mogadishu, April 14, 2015.

UPDATE: Militant group al-Shabab Monday claimed responsibility for an attack in Somalia’s central town of Beledweyne following the explosion of three car bombs that were headed towards Lamagalay.
Washington, Beledweyne — 

Residents of Somalia’s central town of Beledweyne Monday reported the explosion of three car bombs that were headed towards Lamagalay, the Horn of Africa nation’s local government headquarters in the eastern district.

Terrorist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack that led to the death of at least 20 people killed and 36 injured.

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Car Bombs Rock Somalia's Beledweyne

The explosion comes shortly after Somali authorities reported the death of a senior al-Shabab official on Sunday during an operation held in Haramka the previous day.

“Al-Shabab co-founder Abdullahi Nadir was killed in an operation by the national forces in collaboration with international partner forces,” read a statement released by Somalia’s Ministry of Information.

SEE ALSO: Somalia: Al-Shabab Co-Founder Killed

Somalia’s Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur hailed the killing of Nadir and hinted that this was in retaliation to murders by al-Shabab.

The Somali defense authority added the killing of Abdullahi Nadir is the beginning of attacks in relation to the killing of late Mogadishu police chief Brigadier Farhan Mohamoud Adan and Elmi Hagar Gure, a community leader who participated in mobilization against the terrorist group.

“Accountability is just the beginning,” said Nur Twitter.