News / Somalia

Deadly bomb, gun attack targets government office in Somali town

Sunday, 21 August 2016 9:59 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 21 August 2016 4:38 PM ]

People gather at the site of car bomb attacks in the town of Galkayo, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia, August 21, 2016.

Al-Shabab militants have killed 17 people in an attack on the local government headquarters in a town in north-central Somalia.

The attack was carried out in the town of Galkayo, in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region, on Sunday. Witnesses said they heard two huge consecutive explosions, followed by gunfire.

“There were two huge bombs. The first one was a truck bomb, followed a minute or so (later) by another car bomb. My brother was injured at the scene,” said Halima Ismail, a local resident.

The al-Shabab militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying two car bombs were detonated in the area.

Government forces, backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), have been fighting the militancy by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab for several years.

The joint forces have successfully forced the Takfiri militants out of the capital Mogadishu, as well as other major cities. But al-Shabab militants continue to carry out sporadic attacks across the country.

The militants have also attacked targets in neighboring countries, including Kenya.

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