Somalia: At least three wounded by car bomb in Mogadishu /update 1

Event

Local sources reported that at least three people were wounded after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated outside of a police station in the Waberi district of Mogadishu on Thursday, August 10. Witnesses said that a male driver parked the vehicle outside of the police station located on Maka al Mukarama Road before fleeing from the area; police are reportedly searching for the suspect. According to media reports, security forces attempted to intercept the VBIED before it exploded.

Context

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Al-Shabaab is likely behind the bombing. This is the second VBIED attack near the Waberi police station in recent weeks. Another VBIED exploded near the area on July 30, killing ten people and wounding another ten.

Mogadishu frequently experiences attacks by Al-Shabaab, which continues to control large zones in the south and center of the country. The group often targets government officials and military infrastructure in a bid to topple the Western- and UN-backed government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islam in Somalia.

Advice

Individuals in Mogadishu are advised to avoid the area of the attack and to monitor the situation.

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise their citizens against all travel to Somalia; professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel.