Somali Witnesses Say Car Bomb Attack on Airport Killed 8
VOA News 09 September 2010
Witnesses in Somalia say a car bomb has exploded at the main entrance to Mogadishu's airport, killing at least eight people.
The witnesses say a suicide bomber rammed a car into the African Union peacekeeping post outside the airport Thursday. They say they heard a gunbattle following the blast.
Police confirmed the attack in the capital, but did not say how many casualties there were. It is not clear if any peacekeepers were killed or wounded in the attack.
Somali insurgent group al-Shabab recently declared a new, stepped-up campaign to overthrow Somalia's government and impose a strict form of Islamic law in the country. Last month, the militants stormed a Mogadishu hotel frequented by lawmakers and killed 33 people, including four parliamentarians.
In July, the group carried out twin bombings in Uganda's capital, Kampala, that killed 76 people. Al-Shabab said the attacks were retaliation for Uganda's participation in the AU peacekeeping force.
Somalia's transitional government controls only small sections of Mogadishu, with the help of the AU peacekeepers. Islamic militants control most of the capital and large parts of southern and central Somalia.
Last week, the African Union expressed confidence that government troops and AU peacekeepers are gaining the upper hand over al-Shabab.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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