Truck bomb kills at least 10 in Somalia

At least 10 people were killed and neighbouring houses were completely destroyed when a truck bomb exploded at a checkpoint in the central Somali town of Beledweyne on Saturday, according to a police officer.

It was not immediately known who was to blame, although the Islamist organisation al Shabaab routinely conducts bombs in the nation in the Horn of Africa.

“So far I have seen 10 dead people including soldiers and civilians and over a dozen others injured, but the death toll is sure to rise,” police officer Ahmed Aden told Reuters.

Beledweyne is located in the Hiran region of central Somalia, the scene of recent clashes between the military and al Shabaab.

Five police officers who shot on the truck in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent it from slamming the checkpoint were among the deceased, according to Aden. Along with the checkpoint, other structures like stores and buildings were destroyed, he continued.

Halima Nur, a woman who lived close by, told the media that her niece and other people were at a local shop and were unable to be reached. “I’m at a loss for words; all the kiosks are now nothing more than ruins. I’m unable to find my niece, she said.

Al Shabaab has been battling Somalia’s central government for more than a decade, aiming to establish its rule based on strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

(With agency inputs)