MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a checkpoint in the town of Beledweyne, Somalia, killed at least 15 people and injured 40 others, half of whom were in critical condition. , the authorities reported.
The director of the Hirshabelle state humanitarian and disaster management ministry, Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, confirmed the deaths.
“Twenty of the injured are in hospitals in Beledweyne, while another 20 are in critical condition and have been requested to be airlifted to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” he said.
Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiran region, has been the scene of the Somali government’s latest military offensive against al-Shahab extremists, Al Qaeda’s affiliate in East Africa.
Images on social media showed clouds of black smoke and a wrecked truck engulfed in flames at the checkpoint.
Dr. Suleyman Abdi Ali, director of Beledweyne General Hospital, said his hospital received the bodies of 10 victims.
There was no immediate claim for the attack from al-Shahab, which often carries out such attacks and controls parts of Somalia.
“A truck loaded with explosive devices drove through the government checkpoint, and a security personnel van was chasing it when it exploded,” rescue worker Abdikadir Arba told The Associated Press. He added that he was about 200 meters from the place and was one of the first to arrive.
