A bombing outside a café in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Sunday resulted in the tragic deaths of at least five individuals, as confirmed by local police authorities. The incident occurred while a group of people were gathered inside the café to watch the European soccer final between Spain and England on a screen. The explosion was caused by a car loaded with explosives that detonated outside the café, leaving at least 20 others injured.
Witnesses described scenes of chaos and panic following the blast, with some spectators sustaining injuries while attempting to escape by jumping over the café's perimeter wall. The majority of the victims were in the vicinity of the café at the time of the explosion, suffering varying degrees of harm.
Although the responsible party behind the attack remains unidentified, such incidents are not uncommon in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia, often attributed to the Islamic militant group al-Shabab. Al-Shabab has been known to oppose the federal government of Somalia, which relies on foreign military support to maintain stability.
While Mogadishu had experienced a period of relative peace in recent months, this tranquility was disrupted by a violent jailbreak attempt at a local prison the day before the café bombing. During the prison incident, inmates convicted for their involvement in al-Shabab activities engaged in a deadly confrontation with prison guards, resulting in multiple casualties.
The Somali government has intensified its efforts to combat the extremist activities of al-Shabab, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declaring a comprehensive offensive against the group. Al-Shabab, described by the U.S. as one of al-Qaida's most dangerous affiliates, controls significant territories in central and southern Somalia and has been the target of numerous U.S. airstrikes in recent years.
