MOGADISHU: A roadside bombing blamed on the jihadist group Al-Shabab killed eight members of an extended family in central Somalia, a local mayor said on Monday.
The blast occurred late Sunday near a village outside Buloburde, which lies about 220 kilometers (136 miles) north of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
“Eight innocent civilians were killed from the same family, among them a woman,” Sadam Abdi Idow, the mayor of Buloburde, told reporters.
“Al-Shabab terrorists planted the mine after they were defeated in ongoing military operations in the region. These terrorists have no regard for civilians.”
According to witnesses, seven victims died at the scene, while another died later.
“This was a disaster... three were from one family, and the rest from another related family. They were all related,” said Abdikarin Hassan, from Buloburde.
Al-Shabab, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has been trying to overthrow the foreign-backed government in Mogadishu since 2007 through a bloody insurgency.
Its fighters were driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but it remains a deadly force, despite a major offensive launched last August by pro-government forces, backed by African Union troops and US air strikes.
The attack near Buloburde followed a sustained firefight in the region, military sources said.
“The terrorists were defeated during this armed confrontation... and they took their revenge on civilians. They planted a land mine along the main road used by civilians,” Ahmed Ali, a Somali military commander, said by phone.
