MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamist militants detonated a truck bomb Tuesday in front of the education ministry in Somalia's capital as students and parents crowded around to learn about scholarships, killing at least 70 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
It was the deadliest bomb attack in Somalia by al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked group which began its insurgency five years ago. It was also the first significant attack in the capital since al-Shabab withdrew most of its gunmen in August amid an offensive by African Union forces, which is protecting the weak U.N.-backed government.
The truck blew up at a security checkpoint at the entrance to the Ministry of Education, said Ali Hussein, a police officer in Mogadishu. After the thunderous blast, blackened corpses were sprawled on the debris-strewn street amid burning vehicles. Uniformed soldiers dragged the wounded from the hellish scene. The governmetns aid students and their parents were among those killed.Somalia has endured mostly anarchy for the last two decades. The nation is gripped by famine, which is mostly affecting southern parts of the country controlled by al-Shabab. The U.N. estimates tens of thousands have died in Somalia and nearby countries from the famine and that 750,000 people are in danger of dying over the next few months.
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