bloody chicago is out of control what in the heck can we do with this problem because if we don’t do something this virus in Chicago will spread you think you have crime in your area let this madness spread threw other cities in America and you will feel like you are in a 3 world country
Somalia’s security forces are
battling gunmen in a building in Mogadishu, hours after a suicide car
bomb attack on a busy street left at least 20 people dead, security
sources say.
The attack was launched late on Thursday by suspected al-Shabab militants in an area lined with hotels, shops and restaurants.
The gunmen then seized a nearby building and were surrounded.
Exchanges of gunfire continued throughout the night in the capital.
Some 60 people have been injured and seven have died in the attacks
on Maka al-Mukarama road, a spokesman for the Aamin Ambulance service
told the BBC.
A number of civilians have been rescued from the building, reports say.
There are fears that the death toll will rise further.
“There
are still some armed men inside a building,” police officer Ibrahim
Mohamed was quoted as saying on Friday morning by the AFP news agency.
The
secretary-general of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ)
Mohamed Moalimuu was inside the Maka al-Mukarama hotel with a colleague
when they heard gunshots followed by a blast:
We were so lucky to survive the huge blast this evening in #Mogadishu. I and my colleague HM Dahir were sitting down in Maka Almukarama hotel .We first heard gunfire followed by a very demolishing blast The scene changed into darkness.Heavy smoke went high. More bodies were scene pic.twitter.com/JXxn9NdwBK
What is the significance of Maka al-Mukarama road?
The Maka al-Mukarama road is the busiest road in Mogadishu. It has been repeatedly targeted by al-Shabab militants despite being one of the most heavily guarded roads in the country.
Hassan Haile, a prominent UK-based Somali political analyst, told the
BBC that the Islamist militant group were especially drawn to the road.
“Al-Shabab like attacking Maka al-Mukarama because it is in the heart of Somalia,” he said.
He told the BBC the Islamist militant group use bribes and threats to carry out their attacks:
“They
either bribe with money or make it very clear that they know where the
soldiers live and who their families are, to reach where they want to
reach,” Mr Haile said.
“There is negligence from the government,
the soldiers have no money and they don’t get encouragement which makes
these kinds of attacks possible.”
The fight against al-Shabab
The
Islamist group al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, was forced out
of Mogadishu in 2011 but continues to mount regular attacks in the city.
The
US State Department says al-Shabab retains control over large parts of
the country and has the ability to carry out high-profile attacks using
suicide bombers, explosive devices, mortars and small arms.