Late Sunday, July 14, a powerful car bomb exploded at Top Coffee Restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing five people and injuring around 20 others. The cafe was crowded with football fans watching the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England, according to a report by Le Monde.
The explosion resulted in a large fireball. A Reuters reporter noted that the bomb destroyed 10 cars and caused damage to several nearby buildings in the heavily guarded area near the Presidential Palace, Villa Somalia.
The Somali National News Agency reported that Al-Shabaab militants planted the bomb. Al-Shabaab is a jihadist group linked to Al-Qaeda. Police spokesperson Major Abdifitah Aden Hassan confirmed the casualties and added that investigators expected the numbers to rise.
Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack through an affiliated radio station. They stated that the bombing targeted a location where security and government workers frequently gather at night. The group has been waging an insurgency against Somalia’s federal government for close to two decades. Despite government efforts supported by local militias, African Union forces, and United States airstrikes, Al-Shabaab continues to be a significant threat to Somalia’s security.
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