Cafe bombed while watching Euro 2024 final

A large explosion occurred outside a cafe called Top Coffee in the center of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Sunday night (early morning of July 15, Vietnam time), when a group of customers were gathering to watch the Euro 2024 final there.

There were conflicting initial reports of casualties, but Somali state media quoted police spokesman Major Abdifatah Aden Hassan as saying at least five people had died and about 20 others were injured.

Scene outside the bombed cafe. Photo: AFP

Investigators in Mogadishu warned that the preliminary figure was likely to rise. Images online showed a large fire near the cafe after the incident.

Police have cordoned off the area. The site of the bombing is near the presidential palace complex (Villa Somalia) and was crowded at the time of the explosion. The cafe is a popular gathering place for government employees.

Investigators said they believe a car parked outside the cafe exploded. It was not immediately clear whether a suicide bomber was inside. The force of the explosion also caused damage to nearby buildings.

No group has yet claimed responsibility, but all attention is focused on Al-Shabab, the powerful and active Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group in Somalia.

The bombing also recalled a 2010 attack by Ugandan Islamist militants Al-Shabab, which has roots in Somalia.

At that time, it detonated a bomb at a venue in Kampala where a much larger crowd of hundreds had gathered to watch the World Cup final. A total of 74 people were killed.

Al-Shabab opposes football, saying it is against their religion. The group recently attempted an attack during a football tournament at a local stadium in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabab has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for about 17 years, with bombings in Mogadishu and other cities occurring frequently in recent years.

Nguyen Khanh (according to AFP, DPA, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/somalia-quan-ca-phe-bi-danh-bom-khi-dang-xem-chung-ket-euro-2024-post303531.html