2008 Bosaso bombings

Infobox terrorist attack
title=2008 Bosaso bombings


caption=Location of Bosaso in Somalia
location=Bosaso, Somalia
target=Ethiopian migrants
date=February 5, 2008
time-begin=
time-end=
timezone=
type=Grenades
fatalities=25
injuries=80
susperps=
perps=Al-ShabaabThe 2008 Bosaso bombings occurred on February 5, 2008 when twin explosions rocked a residential area in Bosaso, north-eastern Somalia. 25 Ethiopian migrants were killed. The Ethiopian nationals use Bosaso as a transit point towards their ultimate goal of reaching Yemen and beyond by crossing the dangerous Gulf of Aden. Hospital officials described it as one of the worst attacks in Somalia.

Details

The bombs went off near the entry point to the port of Bosaso, the commercial hub of the Puntland autonomous region. The blasts were apparently caused by grenades which went off within two minutes of each other, and targeted an area of Bosaso with a high concentration of Ethiopian migrants. [ [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/621F92CA-F25B-4FE1-B0A0-E7B440E51817.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Many Dead In Somalia Blast ] ] At least 25 civilians were killed and more than 90 others wounded, officials and witnesses said. [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/25_people_killed_in_explosions_in_Somalia_s_Puntland_region.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]

Hospital workers described the situation as horrific with many victims having lost limbs in the explosion. Bosaso's mayor asked all doctors and nurses in the town to come and help treat the wounded. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7229536.stm BBC NEWS | Africa | Deadly blasts hit port in Somalia ] ]

Puntland Vice President Hassan Dahir Afqura, who spoke to reporters in the administrative capital Garowe, said this attack was carried out by “terrorists.” [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/25_people_killed_in_explosions_in_Somalia_s_Puntland_region.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]

Responsibility

The Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the twin bombings. On an Internet posting, written in the Somali language, al Shabaab said they targeted the location near the Bossaso port “after confirming that some Ethiopian soldiers who fought in Mogadishu live there...some brought their wives. This location [in Bossaso] was a place where Ethiopian and Puntland soldiers go for entertainment, with sinful acts and harmful culture,” the statement read. [ [http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Al_Shabaab_claim_responsibility_for_Puntland_bombings.shtml Garowe Online - Home ] ]

References