World, Africa

Suicide attack at Somali police academy kills 17

Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for attack outside General Kahiye Police Academy in capital Mogadishu

Felix Nkambeh Tih  | 14.12.2017 - Update : 14.12.2017
Suicide attack at Somali police academy kills 17 Somalian security forces take security measures at the scene after a suicide attack at police academy in Mogadishu, Somalia on December 14, 2017. At least 10 people were killed and 15 others injured after a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform blew up himself outside a police academy in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, local media reported. The suicide bomber infiltrated the police checkpoints and blew up himself during a police gathering, Somali National News Agency said, adding the injured had been taken to hospital. ( Sadak Mohamed - Anadolu Agency )

By Felix Nkambeh Tih and Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The death toll from a suicide attack on a police academy in Somali capital has risen to 17, an official said.

"We can confirm that at least 17 people were killed and 17 others wounded after a suicide attack targeted General Kahiye Police Academy," Abdullahi Hamid, state minister for the office of the prime minister, told local media.

Bodies of victims are brought to police academy cemetery after a suicide attack at police academy in Mogadishu, Somalia on December 14, 2017.

Earlier, the suicide bomber infiltrated the police checkpoints and blew himself up when the police were reportedly conducting a military parade in preparation for the anniversary of its foundation planned for Dec. 20.

Adan Ali Nur, a police officer who was also wounded in the attack, told Anadolu agency that 10 police soldiers were among the dead.

In a message posted on Twitter, Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre said his government will help the relatives of the soldiers killed in the attack.

Somali militant group al-Shabaab had claimed responsibility for the attack and said that it had killed more than 20 police soldiers.

Thursday's suicide attack came two months after a truck bomb attack in central Mogadishu that killed more than 400 people. 


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