One Dead in Blast at U.N. Mine Service in Somalia
At least one person was killed Saturday by a powerful explosion at the offices of the United Nations Mine Action Service in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, witnesses said.
The blast destroyed a car in the service's parking lot, killing at least one person in the vehicle, witness Abdulahi Ahmed told Agence France Presse.
"The explosion happened inside the compound (of the U.N. service). I can see the remains of the car destroyed in the blast and the body of at least one person," Ahmed said.
Another witness, Muktar Isa, said that "the explosion was very strong and it destroyed part of the compound's wall."
A U.N. representative in Mogadishu, who requested anonymity, confirmed that an explosion had destroyed a car in the Mine Action compound, without giving further details.
The U.N. Mine Action Service manages a demining program and works to raise awareness of the dangers of landmines. Its compound in Somalia is located near Mogadishu airport, one of the areas considered the safest in the war-torn country as it is the base of a 9,000-strong force of African Union peacekeepers.
Source: Agence France Presse
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