15 killed in bombing in Somalia's capital
The explosion took place in the country's capital city, Mogadishu
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Sunday, 03, Aug 2008 10:03
At least 15 people have been killed and many injured after an explosion in Somalia's capital city of Mogadishu.
The bomb, which was hidden underneath a pile of rubbish, exploded as a group of female cleaners swept the streets.
An eyewitness, Hasan Abdi Mohamed, told the AFP news agency: "They were cleaning the street when this huge explosion rocked the entire neighbourhood. I counted 15 bodies, most of them are women who were torn to pieces."
Another bystander Ali Hasan Adan also told the news provider of 15 fatalities, adding that he believed they were all women cleaning the area.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet. Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991, has seen clashes between the Islamist opposition and the government in the past.
In 2006, neighbouring Ethiopia invaded Somalia to oust the Union of Islamic Courts which had taken control of large parts of the country. Ethiopian troops in the country have been seen by the ousted group as invaders and have been targeted in numerous bomb attacks in the past.
A peace agreement was brokered between the government and rival Islamist opposition groups in Djibouti this June.