At least 30 killed in Shebab-claimed Somalia bombings

PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 30 people have been killed in twin bomb attacks claimed by Shebab Islamists at a busy restaurant in the Somali city of Baidoa, the regional governor said Monday, February 29, according to AFP.

"The official number of the dead has reached 30 people -- all of them civilians -- and 61 others have been wounded, 15 of them seriously," Abdurashid Abdulahi, governor of Bay region, told AFP.

An initial car bomb struck a popular restaurant in a busy part of the regional capital on Sunday afternoon, with a suicide bomber nearby hitting people as they fled the area.

"The explosion occurred in a densely populated area," said Abdirahman Ibrahim, a police officer in Baidoa.

Another policeman, Abdi Hared, said there were "twin blasts" from a car bomb and a suicide bomber.

The explosions shredded the roofs of nearby buildings, tore chunks out of vehicles and left bodies, plastic chairs and tables strewn across the road.

The Al-Qaeda aligned Shebab jihadists claimed responsiblity for the attacks, saying local officials were targeted.

"The mujahideen carried out two massive explosions in Baidoa targeting restaurants used by members of the apostate South West Administration," the Shebab said in a statement.

The regional administration in Baidoa is protected by troops of the 22,000-strong African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is supporting the internationally-backed government of Somalia.