Updated on
Summary
A suicide bomber in womens clothes killed at least 19 people in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. A loud explosion shook the hall of the Shamo Hotel, where medical students with their teachers and families attended a college graduation ceremony. Three government ministers, as well as a number of journalists, doctors, and students were among the dead. In an amateur video obtained by the media, the speech of a Somali official was suddenly interrupted by a large detonation. Seconds later, wounded people were climbing out of the ruined room with dead bodies and blood scattered on the floor. I condemn in the strongest terms possible this cowardly attack against civilians, including students, doctors, and journalists, said EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton in a statement. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but officials said the suspicion falls on the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants from al-Shabaab. The rebel group fights the U.N.-backed government, which controls only a small part of Somalia.
