Several people were killed after a car bomb exploded outside a popular café in Mogadishu, Somalia, where football fans were gathered.
The bomb detonated at 22:28 local time on Sunday night at Top Coffee, where patrons were watching the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England.
Police reported at least five fatalities and 20 injuries. Security sources later informed AFP that the death toll had risen to nine.
The jihadist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
Witnesses said the café was crowded, with some people on the pavement outside when the bomb went off, causing chaos as people scrambled for safety.
“We heard a loud, horrifying explosion during the first half of the game that we were watching. Everyone had to figure out how to save themselves,” one of the survivors, Mohamed Muse, told the BBC.
“I saw people in danger, injured people screaming for help, and others confused – it was terrifying,” he added.
Another witness told the AFP news agency that some people in the café escaped by climbing ladders at the back and jumping over the wall.
Sunday’s explosion also destroyed several cars and damaged multiple buildings.
Al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, claimed the attack targeted a location frequented by security and government workers at night.
The area is near Villa Somalia, the official presidential residence.
The jihadist group has conducted numerous bombings in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia over the past 17 years.
However, there has been a recent lull in attacks amid an ongoing offensive by Somali security forces against the group, which still controls large portions of the country.
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