Mogadishu massacre update: Bomb was military-grade, says Senior Officer

The inhumane bomb blast in the Somali capital Mogadishu that killed over 300 people and injured numerous others was made from a combination of military-grade and homemade explosives, said a senior police officer involved in the investigation.

He also said that the truck was packed with over 2 tonnes of explosives as the blast rocked a busy KM5 road junction.

“The investigation is still going on but with the help of military experts we have found that over 2 tons of explosives, including homemade and sophisticated military explosives, were used,” the officer said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on reporting to the media. ^[1]

The triggering of the bomb coincided with the presence of a nearby fuel truck which multiplied the disastrous casualties caused on the day.

Mahad Salad, a Somali lawmaker, confirmed that 130 of the 276 dead were unrecognisable. ^[2]

Medical assistance from Turkey

Immediately after the attack, the Turkish Presidential spokesman said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had ordered an Air Ambulance be deployed to transport the injured victims of the devastating attack from Mogadishu to Turkey for specialist care.^[3]

As the former Somali diplomat, Abukar Arman, said in an opinion piece titled “Erdogan: The hero of Somalia”; “The fact is, Erdogan has done for Somalia what no other world leader has done in decades”. ^[4] Even now, there are no reports of any other country providing such swift humanitarian response let alone providing any meaningful media coverage for the worst terrorist attack in Somalia’s history. ^[5] ^[6]

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign affairs released this statement shortly after the incident;

“We strongly condemn the terrorist attack perpetrated today (14 October) in Mogadishu the capital of Somalia with bomb-laden vehicles causing numerous civilian deaths and injuries.

We wish God’s mercy upon those who lost their lives in the attacks, convey our condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wish speedy recovery to the wounded.

Turkey renews its strong solidarity with the Government and people of Somalia in the wake of the said terrorist attack occurring in a period in which significant progress has been achieved to ensure stability in Somalia.”^[7]

Also read: Turkey to operate largest overseas military camp in Somalia

Turkey has increased support for the embattled country since the then-Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a historic visit amidst the narrative that Mogadishu was a no-go zone.^[4] Just a few weeks ago, Turkey inaugurated the first military training camp for Somali soldiers.

On 16^th of October, the Turkish Health Minister, Ahmet Demircan, visited Somalia to oversee the Turkish assistance with 33 other Turkish staff.^[2]

Questions unanswered?

The fact that a malicious group is able to obtain over 2 tonnes of sophisticated military-grade explosives has raised some alarming questions, especially about the source of such a vast amount of deadly material in such a grade, capable of causing a massacre with a single trigger.

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Source: www.islam21c.com

References:

^[1]	M. Dhaysane, “Military, homemade explosives in Somalia truck bomb,” Anadolu Agency, 10 October 2017. [Online]. Available: http://aa.com.tr/en/africa/military-homemade-explosives-in-somalia-truck-bomb/941230. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[2]	Nour Geidi and Mohammed Dhaysane, “Turkish minister lands in Somalia to aid blast victims,” Anadolu Agency, 16 October 2017. [Online]. Available: http://aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkish-minister-lands-in-somalia-to-aid-blast-victims/938765. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[3]	“Wounded Somalians to be treated in Turkey: Erdogan aide,” Anadolu Agency, 15 October 2017. [Online]. Available: http://aa.com.tr/en/africa/wounded-somalians-to-be-treated-in-turkey-erdogan-aide/936201. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[4]	A. Arman, “Erdogan: The hero of Somalia,” Al Jazeera, 21 January 2015. [Online]. Available: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/01/visit-erdogan-somalia-2015121124331818818.html. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[5]	“Mogadishu truck bomb: 500 casualties in Somalia’s worst terrorist attack,” 16 October 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/15/truck-bomb-mogadishu-kills-people-somalia. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[6]	Islam21c, “Somalia in mourning after Mogadishu bomb blast – Islam21c,” Islam21c, 17 October 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.islam21c.com/news-views/somalia-mourning-mogadishu-bomb-blast/. [Accessed 19 October 2017].
^[7]	Republic of Turkey Ministy of Foreign Affairs, “No: 317, 14 October 2017, Press Release Regarding the Terrorist Attacks in Mogadishu on 14 October 2017 / Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Republic of Turkey Ministy of Foreign Affairs, 14 October 2017. [Online]. Available: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-317_-mogadisuda-14-ekim-2017-tarihinde-meydana-gelen-teror-saldirisi-hk_en.en.mfa. [Accessed 19 October 2017].