The death toll in Friday’s twin bombings in the Somali capital Mogadishu rose to 45, announced a senior government official on Saturday.
“The death toll from last night’s blasts has risen to 45, and 36 others were injured,” the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
The al-Shabaab extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
The initial death toll was put at 18.
The two car bomb blasts shattered a months-long period of calm in Mogadishu, which is often the target of attacks by al-Shabab.
The first blast occurred near Somalia's intelligence headquarters and the second occurred near parliament's headquarters.
According to officials, the main attack involved the use of a vehicle loaded with explosives attempting to breach a checkpoint leading to the presidential palace, but security forces prevented the assault.
"The security forces foiled the intent of the terrorists. They were aiming for key targets but they could not even go closer, there were five of them killed by the security force," said Abdulahi Ahmed, a security officer.
A police officer put the death toll at 36.
“At least 15 people including a military officer and a local official died outside the palace last night. And more than that were injured. They were mostly palace guards and guards of officials who were at the scene. The death toll may rise,” Major Mohamed Abdullahi told Reuters on Saturday.
“At the hotel, at least 21 died. So the total I have is 36 dead and more others injured.”
Reuters pictures showed at least five vehicles destroyed outside the hotel, whose perimeter wall was partly destroyed in the blast.
Al-Shabaab said its attackers had killed 35 soldiers and five of its fighters were also killed.
“Five including the two drivers martyred from our side. We killed 35 soldiers ... in last night’s operations. The other mujahideen came back safely,” Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, said.
The group has killed hundreds of civilians across East Africa and thousands of Somalis in a decade-long insurgency.
In October, more than 500 people were killed in twin bomb blasts in Mogadishu. Those attacks were the deadliest since al-Shabaab began an insurgency in 2007. Al-Shabaab did not claim responsibility for that incident.
.jpg?w=600)
