Al-Shabaab reportedly killed eleven people in Somalia
Radical Islamists reject not only music but also sport competitions in part. Al-Shabaab in Somalia carried out an attack on a local during the EURO final, where football was being shown.
During the broadcast of the EURO final, an car bomb exploded near a café in the Somali capital Mogadishu. At least eleven people were killed, dozens of visitors of the popular local were injured according to a police spokesperson. Panic broke out in the café. Among the dead were five people who were passing by when the car in front of the café exploded, it was further reported.
A police spokesperson told the German Press Agency (dpa), it is still unclear whether there was a suicide bomber in the vehicle and whether armed attackers were involved as well. At least the bomb detonated in front of "Top Coffee Restaurant" reported Somalia's National News Agency (Sonna). The number of dead and injured could still increase, investigators feared. Initially, there were reports of five deaths. The explosion caused significant damage to nearby buildings.
The targeted local is popular among government officials. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the method and target bear the hallmark of the radical-Islamic militia Al-Shabaab, which has been waging a bloody fight in the country at the Horn of Africa since 2007, with the support of the international community. Al-Shabaab was driven out of the capital Mogadishu and other major cities more than ten years ago. However, they still control large rural areas in the eastern African country and carry out regular attacks, even in Mogadishu.
Bombing during the WM-Final 2010
Al-Shabaab rejects football and music as "haram" (unclean) and had attempted an attack on the stadium during a football tournament in Mogadishu a few months ago. It is not new that a sports final is in the crosshairs of the Islamists: During the Football World Cup 2010 in Uganda, Al-Shabaab detonated bombs in a local where several hundred people were watching the final. Seventy-four people were killed.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic terrorist organization Al-Shabaab has been fighting against the internationally recognized government of Somalia since 2007. They were driven out of the capital Mogadishu and other major cities more than ten years ago. However, they still control large rural areas in the eastern African country and carry out regular attacks, even in Mogadishu.
The bombing during the EURO final attack can be seen as a tactic often employed by Al-Shabaab, a radical-Islamic militia known for rejecting sports and music as 'haram'. Just like in 2010, when Al-Shabaab detonated bombs at a local during the Football World Cup final in Uganda, killing 74 people. Despite being driven out of major cities in Somalia over a decade ago, Al-Shabaab continues to wage terror attacks, often targeting those involved in politics and sport events.
