The twisted remains of the bomber's car
A car bomb targeting Somalia's foreign ministry has exploded near the Banadir junction, killing three and injuring 28.
Witness Nasro Omar told Somalia Report a Toyota Hilux Surf was aiming for the main gate, but detonated before it got there, killing business owners.
Mohamed Ali Geddi, who was near where the suicide attack took place, told Somalia Report that deaths were lower as the car failed to reach its target.
“I was at Banadir junction when the blast happened; I was one of the first people who helped the casualties," he said. "I saw three people dead and more than 25 injured, we rushed the casualties to Madina and Banadir hospitals, only three people had a serious injury and the others were small injures."
The fact the ministry building is under refurbishment made it a strange choice for a target.
“This building is empty and the government is not using it is an office, since it’s under repair," Geddi.
A Kenyan delegation, including Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula, was in town to discuss Kenya's military operations targeting al-Shabaab within Somalia, but the meeting was held in Villa Somalia and had already concluded by the time of the blast.
It was not clear if this was a hasty and botched attempt to target the Kenyans, coming after al-Shabaab threatened to bring war to Kenya if it did not withdraw it troops.
Al-Shabaab has stepped up its campaign of bombings in recent weeks, with the deadliest blast claiming around 100 lives - many of them students - at a government building.
