Bomb blast in southwestern Somalia kills 3, wounds 4

MOGADISHU, Somalia

At least three people were killed and four others wounded in a bomb blast in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on Monday.

The target of the blast in Afgoye, located some 30 kilometers (18 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, was Hussein Jibril, the town’s former deputy mayor, a police officer told Anadolu Agency.

“It was a remote-controlled explosive device. Three people have been killed and four, including Jibril, are injured,” said the officer, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns.

Earlier in the day, the al-Shabaab terror group attacked a bridge running across a river in Afgoye, according to Somali military officials.

Security forces successfully repulsed the attack, the officials said, without sharing any details on casualties or damage.​​​​​​​

Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorist organization and has been fighting Somali government and African Union forces since 2007, claimed responsibility for both attacks.