Somali governor killed in Al-Shabaab suicide blast: official

Abdisalan Hassan Hersi, governor of Nugaal region, succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to hospital in Garowe, the capital of Puntland where the blast occurred Sunday.

March 30, 2020 12:04 pm | Updated 12:05 pm IST - Mogadishu (Somalia):

In this April 16, 2017 photo, Somali government forces look at the bodies of suspected Al-Shabaab fighters killed in a clash with security members in Madina district of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu.

In this April 16, 2017 photo, Somali government forces look at the bodies of suspected Al-Shabaab fighters killed in a clash with security members in Madina district of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu.

A governor in Somalia's Puntland has been killed in a suicide bombing claimed by the al-Shabaab jihadist group, police and hospital sources said on Monday.

Abdisalan Hassan Hersi, governor of Nugaal region, succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to hospital in Garowe, the capital of Puntland where the blast occurred Sunday.

"The doctors tried to save the governor's life but unfortunately he died from his injuries," Mohamed Weli, a police officer in Puntland, told AFP by phone.

"He was in a critical condition when he was admitted to hospital."

A source at the hospital, who did not wish to be identified, said the governor died less than an hour after being admitted to the intensive care ward.

"He was badly wounded in the blast and he had little chance of surviving such serious injuries," the source told AFP.

A former police commander and a civilian also wounded in the blast were being treated at hospital, officials said Monday.

Several witnesses described the attacker running at the governor's vehicle before detonating a suicide vest, triggering an explosion.

Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group waging a deadly insurgency in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

The Al-Qaeda affiliate was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and lost most of their strongholds, but still control vast swathes of the countryside.

They have vowed to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu and have carried out many attacks in the capital.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.