Suicide attack in Somalia kills seven people near police academy

A suicide bomber blew himself up near a police academy in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday, killing at least seven people, including civilians, police and witnesses said.

Officials said the attacker ran into a crowd enjoying tea in the shade of a tree before detonating a device around 3:30 p.m. (12:30 GMT).

“The apparent casualty information we have is the death of seven people, including police officers and civilians, and six people were injured,” a police statement said.

“The explosion occurred under trees where residents of the area were resting,” it said.

Witnesses said rescue workers rushed to the scene after the explosion.

“There were dead bodies and wounded people under the trees, the whole area was in turmoil,” said witness Ahmed Adan AFPIt describes how people tried to help the injured.

“It was terrible, the explosion happened when people were hanging out and some of them were enjoying their tea,” said another witness. Mohamed salad.

According to people who were at the scene, a famous Somali poet was among the dead.

Al-Qaeda-linked militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement.

Al-Shabaab has carried out numerous attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of the country as the government continues its offensive to destroy the jihadists.

In August, an al-Shabaab attack on a busy beach in the capital killed at least 37 people, sparking demonstrations against the group.