An unexploded mortar round accidentally detonated in Somalia, an East African nation, causing a significant explosion disaster that left at least 27 people dead and 53 injured.
The incident occurred on Friday, September 9th, in Jilib, a city in southeast Somalia, according to The New York Times. Children made up the majority of those killed and injured when an unexploded mortar shell that was being played with by a group of kids suddenly burst, killing 27 people and injuring 53 others.
Al-Shabaab, an active member of the Islamic extremist movement, was reportedly present there. The unexploded munitions the kids were playing with, according to the locals, were a holdover from the civil war.
Following the tragedy, a deputy district commissioner, Ahmed, told reporters,
“This disaster occurred near the town of Goryowein. The children were playing with an unexploded mortar shell, and it exploded.”
He added that they had asked the authorities and relief organizations to “clear the area of landmines and explosives to prevent further disasters.”
Decades of internal turmoil have afflicted Somalia. In the capital city of Mogadishu, an attack occurred last Friday that left at least 7 people hurt. Al-Shabaab, an extreme Islamist militant organisation, claimed responsibility for the assault.
