Somalia: Up to 38 killed in car bomb attacks in Mogadishu

Two car bombs and gunfire near the presidential palace in Mogadishu has left up to 38 people dead and 20 others wounded according to conflicting reports. Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for Friday’s deadly attack, which appeared to be coordinated. One of the car bombs targeted the presidential palace, while a second blast took place near a popular hotel. Both cars were driven by suicide bombers, according to an Al-Shabab spokesman. Somali officials claim that five attackers were shot and killed in a subsequent firefight. The incident comes a day after the Somali government issued a “terror warning” in the capital. In October, 500 people were killed by a truck bomb in Mogadishu – one of Somali’s deadliest terror attacks.