The death toll from twin car bomb blasts in the Somali capital late on Friday has risen to 45 from the initially reported 18, a senior government official said yesterday.
Al Qaeda-linked Al Shebaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack near the president’s residence and a hotel close by.
“The death toll from last night’s blasts has risen to 45, and 36 others were injured,” the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
Separately, a police officer said he was sure of 36 deaths.
“At least 15 people including a military officer and a local official died outside the palace last night. And more than that were injured. They were mostly palace guards and guards of officials who were at the scene. The death toll may rise,” Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters yesterday.
“At the hotel, at least 21 died. So the total I have is 36 dead and more others injured.”
He said the main attack involved the use of a vehicle loaded with explosives attempting to breach a checkpoint leading to the presidential palace, but security forces prevented the assault.
“The security forces foiled the intent of the terrorists. They were aiming for key targets but they could not even go closer, there were five of them killed by the security force,” Abdulahi said.
The ambulance services had put the toll at 18 on Friday, and updated it to 21 early yesterday.
Reuters pictures showed at least five vehicles destroyed outside the hotel, whose perimeter wall was partly destroyed in the blast.
Al Shebaab said its attackers had killed 35 soldiers and five of its fighters were also killed.
“Five including the two drivers martyred from our side. We killed 35 soldiers in last night’s operations. The other Mujahideen came back safely,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, Al Shebaab’s military operations spokesman, said.
The group wants to overthrow the Somali government and impose its own administration.
It has killed hundreds of civilians across East Africa and thousands of Somalis in a decade-long insurgency.
In October, more than 500 people were killed in twin bomb blasts in Mogadishu.
Those attacks were the deadliest since Al Shebaab began an insurgency in 2007.
A resident stands within the debris at the scene after a suicide car explosion in front of Doorbin hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia.
