Mogadishu car blast kills one, four injured

At least a woman died  and four others injured in a car explosion in Mogadishu Thursday night amid thousands of readers, authors, poets thronged the city to participate the second Mogadishu Book fair, a three-day event runs through Friday.

The incident happened at a junction at Sinai area after Somali forces tried to stop a car which suddenly exploded, according to local resident at scene who spoke to Goobjoog News.

“The blast happened at a security checkpoint and it claimed the live of a woman who happened to be near the checkpoint during the explosion. Fours others also injured” said the eyewitness.

Book lovers in their thousands turned up the Mogadishu venue to catch up with their favourite authors, trying to show the world the different side of Mogadishu which westerners called to be one of the dangerous cities in this century.

This comes months after the city witnessed several deadly attacks that claimed the lives of innocent people and destroyed hotels, government institution, Military bases.

The war between Somalia’s internationally recognised government forces  backed by AIMSOM troops and Al-Shabaab fighters have caused  collateral damages which have led both sides to tune them out.

Though Al-Shabaab lost the control of many towns in South and central Somalia, it still remains potential threat to areas controlled by the government.

Late last Month, Al-Shabaab suicide bombers hit Somalia’s CID headquarters in Mogadishu, killing over 17 people mostly civilians and 25 others.

Al-Shabaab which was driven out the capital city in 2011 by Somali forces and AMISOM troops, aims at toppling the government and to force the foreign troops to withdraw from the country.

Somalis have lived a quarter century of lawlessness which led the lost of a generation that could have participate the good governance and leadership of of the country.

After the depose of the late Mohamed Siyad Barre in early 1990s, Somalia has yet to get strong, competent government that can take over the control of whole nation.