Somalia: 5 dead, several injured after powerful car blast hits cafe packed with fans watching Euro 2024 final
Somalia Tragedy| In a horrific and dreadful incident, at least five dead and several injured after a powerful car bomb blast unfolded outside a cafe in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The blast took place when people were watching the final of the Euro 2024 tournament.
As per the local media of Somalia, the blast unfolded late Sunday at Top Coffee Restaurant, which was crowded with football fans.
The explosion resulted in a massive fireball and smoke rising into the night sky. Meanwhile, media reports of Somalia attributed the attack to "Kharijite terrorists," a term used by officials for the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group.
While it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, Al-Shabaab, which opposes Somalia's federal government, is frequently responsible for such incidents. The federal government relies on foreign troop support to maintain control. Although Mogadishu has been relatively peaceful in recent months, the calm was disrupted by a failed jailbreak attempt by inmates linked to Al-Shabaab the previous day, resulting in at least eight deaths.
Somalia's government is actively conducting a high-profile offensive against Al-Shabaab, described by the US as one of Al-Qaeda’s most lethal groups.
Notably, Central and southern Somalia have been targeted by numerous US airstrikes in recent years.
- With inputs from agencies