MOGADISHU, Somalia

At least six people were killed and several wounded Thursday in a bomb blast in Somalia’s central state of Hirshabele, an official told Anadolu.

A police officer in Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabele, told the Turkish news agency that the attack involved a car blast that went off near a busy small market in Burloburte in the Hiran province.

He said two soldiers were among those killed.

“As of now, we know that six people including two soldiers were killed but casualties could rise,” he said.

Ali Ahmed told Anadolu he saw four dead civilians, including two women.

Residents reported that more than 15 people were wounded, including civilians and soldiers.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack was the second in less than 12 hours and it came hours after several security personnel were wounded in a double car bombing in the central state of Galmudug.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for that attack and said it targeted the regional presidential palace that houses President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

The group claimed it killed 16 soldiers and wounded 14.

Thursday’s attacks came five days after a truck bomb in Beledweyne in the same region killed at least 18, including 10 security personnel and wounded 40 others.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.


Since 2007, he al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has increased attacks since Mohamud, who was elected to a second term last year, declared an "all-out war" on the terror group.