Death toll passes 10 after deadly truck explosion in Somali central town
The number of people killed in a truck bomb blast in the central Somali town of Beledweyne has climbed to 18, according to a top regional official.
The latest toll was released on Saturday by Abdirahman Dahir Gure, the interior minister of Hirshabelle state, where Beledweyne is located, in the aftermath of the blast that targeted a security checkpoint in a residential neighborhood.
40 people were confirmed to be injured in the blast, according to Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, the director-general of the Hirshabelle Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management.
“Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” he told The Associated Press.
No group has claimed responsibility but the violent al Shabaab militants often carry out bombings in the Horn of Africa country.
In recent years, the group’s strategy has shifted away from direct military engagement to suicide bombings, raids, and killings of Somali and foreign officials.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud,has pledged “total war” against the militants in a bid to end their reign of terror.
Al Shabaab has maintained its success in earning cash from local clans, collecting taxes, and operating courts outside of government supervision.
President Mohamud once said the group has 15,000 to 18,000 fighters, and UN analysts estimate its monthly revenue at around $10 million (£8.7 million).
