Somalia Blast Toll Above 270 as African Union Calls for Help
- Attack in busy central area injured at least 300 people
- Islamist militants regularly carry out attacks on Mogadishu
A woman walks by wreckages of vehicles following the explosion of a truck bomb in the centre of Mogadishu, on Oct. 14.
Photographer: Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The death toll from a truck-bomb blast in Somalia’s capital climbed to 276 people, as the African Union urged greater international backing for the government’s fight against extremists.
The explosion, the nation’s deadliest single attack, injured 300 others, according to an emailed statement by the Information Ministry. The blast occurred Saturday in Mogadishu’s busy central K5 Junction area, damaging buildings including the popular Safari Hotel, according to witnesses. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.