At least 17 killed in Somalia as bus runs over bomb

MOGADISHU, Somalia - At least 17 civilians have been killed in Middle Shebelle, a region that has been struggling with stability, following a bomb blast that targeted a minibus traveling from the capital Mogadishu, amid an ongoing pre-election stalemate in the country.

Officials said the incident took place in the vicinity of Gololey about 50 Kilometers north of Mogadishu, the country's capital which has been struggling with insecurity in the last couple of months.

The deceased persons were traveling from Mogadishu to Jowhar, the regional administrative capital of Hirshabelle, a state within southern Somalia that has been playing home to thousands of Al-Shabaab militants, who control large swathes of the area.

Several other civilians were critically wounded, police said, and have since been transferred to Mogadishu for specialized treatment, a police spokesperson added, in the latest incident which further raises doubt about civilian safety in Somalia.

The death toll could further rise as some of the wounded suffered threatening injuries, some independent reports gathered by Garowe Online have indicated. The federal government of Somalia, which is facing legitimacy questions, has condemned the attack.

Although no group has taken responsibility for the attacks, nature and the set-up is replica of Al-Shabaab raids in the country, but the group is yet to confirm. The group often targets security forces, senior government officials, and even innocent civilians.

The attack comes at the time opposition leaders are accusing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo of diverting resources to fighting political wars instead of focusing on eliminating terror threats in the country. The government has, however, often defended itself from the allegations.

GAROWE ONLINE