A bombing outside a café in Mogadishu killed at least five people, with 20 others injured while watching the European soccer final between Spain and England. The explosion, caused by a car loaded with explosives, resulted in chaos and panic, with some spectators getting injured in a stampede.
Although the responsible party is unknown, attacks by the Islamic militant group al-Shabab are common in Somalia, where the federal government relies on foreign troops for support. Despite recent peace in Mogadishu, a failed jailbreak by al-Shabab prisoners reignited violence in the city, leaving at least eight dead.
Somalia is currently engaged in a high-profile offensive against al-Shabab, labeled one of al-Qaida’s deadliest organizations. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared “total war” against the extremists, who control significant portions of central and southern Somalia and have been targeted by numerous U.S. airstrikes.
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