A massive car bomb detonated today at a major toll exchange in Mogadishu, Somalia. Estimates of the death toll range between 76 and 100. Terror group Al Shabaab is being blamed for the terror attack.
Journalist, Abdulaziz Billow Ali, working in the Horn of Africa reports about the Benadir University students who were victims of the suicide bombing.
A spokesperson with Ministry of Information says scores feared dead after a car bomb detonated along ex-control Afgooye junction, SW of #Mogadishu. The early morning blast is said to have targeted civilians, mainly students heading to school. #Somalia
#Somalia The most part of over 90 dead of al Shabaab SVBIED attack in #Mogadishu are students of Benadir University and other schools. These students had the same dreams of students of Paris, Brussels, NewYork, London, etc. But for them there won't be any parade of Heads of State pic.twitter.com/DwQ5FdkD4V
— Unofficial ✡MOSSAD✡ (@MossadNews) December 28, 2019
Billow Ali also tweeted about the terror attack 10 years ago in Dec 2009, where a suicide bomber killed 14 medical students at a graduation ceremony for Benadir University in Shamo Hotel.
Ten years later, Dec 2019 more than 20 Benadir University students perish in a suicide car bomb on the outskirts of #Mogadishu
A spokesperson with Ministry of Information says scores feared dead after a car bomb detonated along ex-control Afgooye junction, SW of #Mogadishu. The early morning blast is said to have targeted civilians, mainly students heading to school. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/am3mucXCmn
— Abdulaziz Billow Ali (@AbdulBillowAli) December 28, 2019
Heartbreaking videos are emerging of the horrific scene.
#Somalia: At least 90 people killed in a car bomb in Mogadishu on Saturday. Many of those killed were students from Benadir University. ( ⚠️ Distressing images)https://t.co/lF9A13gtiM
— Zim Media Review (@ZimMediaReview) December 28, 2019
This photo of a crying mother holding an IV drip while a visibly disturbed nurse carries her baby, who was reportedly one of the bombing victims, is being shared around Twitter.
Mom holding IV drip on her little kid while crying, this photo was taken from today’s deadly explosion in Mogadishu , the sad thing is no one on earth is having any explanation why did this happen to her !
Alle ha u gargaaro Amiin #Mogadishu pic.twitter.com/mSB3tWofx5— JAMA,M.D (@Jamaa_Md) December 28, 2019
News outlets are reporting that a large number of university students are among the dead
https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1210829769199116288?s=20
Deadly car bomb in the Somali capital Mogadishu kills over 70 people and dozens more injured, many university students and innocent civilians among the casualties. May Allah have mercy on them and grant them Jannah, Ameen. pic.twitter.com/DKN0VujI5r
— muslim daily ❁ (@BirdsOfJannah) December 28, 2019
These photos reveal blood-soaked and burned books allegedly carried by university students.
They woke up early, dressed up in the morning, moved to university hopefully waiting for the day.
But their hope was destroyed,their books turned into blood and died in the morning plast in Mogadishu.
What have they done????
We mourn for your loss.
May Allah bless you all amiin pic.twitter.com/1tJ3n6eHz3— Mohamed Osman Mohamed (@Ore_Osman1) December 28, 2019
If the death toll continues to rise, according to statistics provided by VOA reporter Harun Maruf, today’s terror attack could end up being the second deadliest terror incident in Mogadishu history.
Based on current death toll (76), today’s attack is the third deadliest terrorist incident in Mogadishu. The two previous deadliest attacks occurred on Oct 4, 2011 at Hargaha & Saamaha (100 killed) and Oct 14, 2017 truck bomb (587 killed). #Somalia #ExControlAttack
— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) December 28, 2019
The radical, freshman Muslim lawmaker Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is an immigrant from Somalia and a frequent critic of criticism of her homeland.
In January 2016, we shared a story about a video that was aimed at recruiting jihad fighters that highlighted Minnesotans who left the U.S. to fight with terrorists.
The 50-minute video released by Al-Shabaab was similar to past propaganda videos, featuring high-quality graphics and video editing to glorify fighting overseas.
The 2016 video highlights local men from the future Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s district, nicknamed the “Minnesota Martyrs,” who died while fighting overseas.
“In the face of the global crusade against Islam, these young men could not afford to sit and watch as the American crusaders perpetrated the most hideous atrocities across the globe,” the video’s narrator said.
The FBI says more than two dozen young Somali-Americans from the Twin Cities have already been lured to training camps overseas, mostly in Somalia.
In 2018, an unfounded rumor surfaced in the media about President Trump referring to Haiti, El Salvador and Somali as “shitholes,” during a private meeting in the White House. Members of Trump’s administration who were present at the meeting denied he ever used the word “shithole” in his description of the war-torn, corrupt nation. Nevertheless, the media and freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) an immigrant from Somalia, used the rumor to spark anger and hatred towards the president.