A car bomb exploded outside a restaurant in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Sunday night, killing five people and injuring 20 others as patrons watched the final of the Euro 2024 football tournament on TV, police said, blaming Islamist insurgents.
The blast destroyed 10 cars and damaged several nearby buildings in a well-guarded area near the Presidential Palace, a Reuters reporter stated.
Al Shabaab militants claimed responsibility for the attack on an affiliated radio station, saying the bombing targeted a place where security and government workers meet at night.
The Islamist group, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia.
Despite losing large swathes of territory to government forces and their allies, the insurgents have frequently launched raids and deadly attacks in Mogadishu and other regions controlled by the federal government over the last two years.
