Suicide bomber and infant killed in botched terror plot in Mogadishu

A bomb blast in a rental house in the outskirts of Karaan, a northern Mogadishu district has killed the perpetrator, his infant baby and injured his wife and another teenager who was also a tenant in the same house.

The man who travelled yesterday from Qoryoley in the Lower Shabelle, which is largely under Al-Shabaab fighters is alleged to have died on the spot after the improvised explosive bomb he was making went off.

Speaking to the media, the a Kaaran deputy commissioner in  charge of policy and security Salah Mohamed Muse said the man had travelled a day before from Qoryoley, Lower Shabelle region.

“The man traveled yesterday from Qoryoley which is under the control of the peace haters [Alshabab]. He and his infant were killed while the wife and another boy sustained injuries.”

The local security personnel who responded to the explosion sealed off the house and when they carried further inspection inside the low-income rental house, found more explosive devices in the compound.

“When we searched the house, we found two unused hand grenades. The guy wasn’t a soldier but he is alleged to be a member of the ‘peace haters [Alshabab] group” added the local commissioner.

The owners of the house have been placed under police custody and are currently under investigation on why they have ignored regulations on recording new tenants with the local administration for security purposes.

“We have to interrogate who and when was the house rented to the man and we have arrested the owners. Regulations are in place for registering tenants with the local administration and anyone who ignores this will shoulder the consequences,” the official said.

He noted the house in question has not been rented out procedurally since since they were no records indicating the suspect had rented the house.