MOGADISHU (Al Jazeera) – At least 13 people including local government officials were killed in a bombing claimed by the al-Shabab militant group in the central Somalia town of Beledweyne on Saturday, police and witnesses said.
The attack took place despite security being tightened in Beledweyne on the eve of a first round of voting for parliamentary seats in the constituency, which lies about 340 kilometers (210 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu.
Two deputy district commissioners were among the dead, while 16 civilians were also wounded, local police officer Mohamud Hassan told AFP by phone, saying a bomber was believed to be behind the blast at a local restaurant.
“This was the deadliest attack I can recall in this town,” he added.
Witnesses said the huge explosion tore through an open area of the Hassan Dhiif restaurant where people had gathered under trees to eat lunch and enjoy the breeze.
“I saw dead bodies of several people and I could not count how many wounded that were rushed to hospital,” said one witness, Mahad Osman.
“Some of these people were waiting for their ordered meals to come while enjoying the fresh weather when the blast occurred,” he said.
“I saw... shoes, sticks and hats strewn at the scene of the blast, there was also blood and severed parts of human flesh in the area.”
One of those killed was a candidate in the parliamentary elections, according to witnesses.
Security has been tightened in Beledweyne on the eve of the first round of voting for the elections. Still, acts of terror beleaguer the town.
The elections began in November and were initially supposed to end in late December. Now the elections are due to be completed on Friday.
Somalia, particularly Mogadishu, has seen a spate of attacks in recent weeks as the country hobbles through long-delayed elections.
On February 16, al-Shabab terrorists launched simultaneous attacks on police stations around the capital. Five people were killed, including two children.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group has been fighting Somalia’s central government for more than a decade.
Despite being ousted from large parts of south and central Somalia, al-Shabab retains a significant presence, reportedly roaming freely and posing a threat in regions outside the capital where the central government hardly holds sway. The group launches regular attacks on government, military and civilian targets. It also aims to drive out African Union peacekeeping troops.
The country is also beset by the growing threat of Daesh as the terrorist group is seeking to find a new foothold after being vanquished from Iraq and much of Syria.