Several Killed, 45 wounded in Somalia car-bomb attacks

Three car-bomb explosions on Friday outside a luxury hotel in the Somali capital left at least 14 people dead and 45 others wounded, media reported.

The al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which took place during the afternoon rush hour on a busy street near a checkpoint that controls access to Mogadishu International Airport, reports Efe news.

Mohamed Abshir from Amin ambulance service told Efe that 14 people were killed, while the ambulance service said on Twitter that it had transported 45 injured people to hospitals.

The first two blasts took place almost simultaneously at 4 p.m. outside the Sahafi hotel, while the third came 20 minutes later in the garage of the adjacent Hayat hotel.

Several terrorists were killed trying to enter the Sahafi, security sources told Radio Dalsan.

The two hotels are located just a few meters away from Criminal Investigation Division headquarters in an area of restaurants and bars.

Among the dead was Sahafi owner Abdifatah Abdirashid, whose father was killed in a similar attack on the same hotel three years ago, according to Radio Dalsan.

--IANS

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