Bombing at Checkpoint in Somalia Kills at Least 15 People, Authorities Say

In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
TT

Bombing at Checkpoint in Somalia Kills at Least 15 People, Authorities Say

In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)
In this grab taken from video, smoke billows after an explosion in Beledweyne, Somalia, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP)

An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing at least 15 people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.

Abdifatah Mohamed Yusuf, the director-general of the Hirshabelle Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, confirmed the deaths.

“Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment,” he said.

Hirshabelle is a state that includes Beledweyne, which is the capital of the Hiran region and has been the center of the Somali government’s latest military offensive against extremists from East Africa’s al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabaab.

Images on social media showed black smoke billowing and a smashed truck cab blazing at the checkpoint.

Dr. Suleyman Abdi Ali, the director of Beledweyne General Hospital, said the bodies of 10 victims were brought to his hospital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from al-Shabaab, which often carries out such attacks and controls parts of Somalia.



Arab Parliament Welcomes UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

Arab Parliament Welcomes UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation
TT

Arab Parliament Welcomes UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

Arab Parliament Welcomes UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Occupation

The Arab Parliament praised the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
In a statement, the parliament hailed the resolution's passage with a majority vote of 124 as a victory for Palestinian rights and the justness of their cause, thanking the countries that backed the resolution.
The parliament emphasized that this resolution is a move towards justice for Palestinians, urging the international community and the Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities by pressuring Israel to comply with the resolution, cease the occupation, and enforce previous international resolutions that Israel has disregarded, going against international legitimacy.
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Palestinian-drafted resolution that demands Israel end "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within 12 months.