At least three people were killed and eight others wounded in twin bombings in southern Somalia, officials said Sunday evening.
The attack targeted a security checkpoint in the town of Bal'ad, Middle Shabelle region. The casualties include soldiers.
Ali Moalim Hassan, a local police officer, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that the first attack killed two civilians who were near the scene.
#BREAKING: Jubbaland regional lawmaker Khaliif Hashim Noor Geddi has been killed in a “sticky bomb” attack on his car in Kismayo tonight. Al Shabaab claimed the responsibility and Jubbaland vice president instructed security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice. #Somalia
— Somalia Live Update (@HassanIstiila) January 1, 2021
"Both attacks were roadside bomb blasts. The first attack killed two civilians and the second bomb exploded after security forces reached the bomb site, killing one soldier," Hassan said.
The injured soldiers were transferred to a hospital in the capital Mogadishu for treatment.
Bal'ad, is an agricultural town located 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Mogadishu.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack comes a day after a suicide bomber targeted a road construction project site in Lafole, Lower Shabelle region, that killed at least five people including two Turkish nationals.
Somali-based Al-Qaeda affiliated group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
