Twin car bombings rocked Somalia’s education ministry in the capital Mogadishu on Saturday, causing “scores of casualties”, police said.
A vehicle loaded with explosives was driven into the ministry compound and was followed by gunfire, police officer Ibrahim Mohamed said.
“In a few minutes another blast occurred in the same area,” he said.
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“Many bodies” were at the scene and they appeared to be civilians travelling on public transport, while the second bombing occurred in front of a busy restaurant, The Associated Press reported.
A police officer guarding the ministry, who gave his name as Hassan, said he saw at least 12 bodies and more than 20 people wounded. Blood from victims of the blasts covered the tarmac just outside the building.
State news agency SONNA, said the bombings caused “scores of civilian casualties, including independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona”.
Abdikadir Abdirahman, the founder of the Aamin Ambulance Service, told Reuters news agency a driver and a first aid worker were injured in the second blast as their ambulance came to transport casualties from the first bombing.
“I saw huge smoke in the ministry area and there is massive destruction,” witness Amino Salad said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the armed group al-Shabab routinely carries out such bombings in Somalia.
Saturday’s explosions occurred at Zobe junction, the scene of a massive al-Shabab blast in 2017 that killed more than 500 people.
Fighters from the group were ousted from Mogadishu in 2011, but they continue to stage attacks on military, government and civilian targets.
The group last week claimed responsibility for a siege of a hotel in the port city of Kismayo that killed nine people and wounded 47 others.
Thousands of Somalis have been killed in the decade-long rebellion.
