Two explosions at a mosque in Somalia's capital Mogadishu killed at least 30 people on Saturday and wounded scores, witnesses said.
It was the second attack this week on a mosque in Bakara Market, an area of Mogadishu dominated by members of the country's two main insurgent groups, Hizbul Islam and al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab.
Saturday's attack was in the Abdalla Shideye mosque which is often used by al Shabaab officials to deliver speeches. It is not far from the Abu Hureya mosque where a landmine killed one person on Tuesday.
"Many screaming people were piled up on each other, some dead, some injured," said a witness who asked not to be identified. "There were more than 30 dead," he said, estimating that over 100 people were injured. "Al Shabaab armed men arrived and surrounded the mosque," he added.
It was not clear who was behind the mosque blasts, although residents suspected they could be the result of infighting between the insurgent groups, which are both trying to topple the Western-backed government.
Some witnesses said they believed that a senior leader of al Shabaab, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, was the target. Khalaf, who is also know as Fuad Shongole, is on a list of people in Somalia subject to U.N. sanctions.
According to the U.N. Security Council, Khalaf, who also has Swedish nationality, has raised funds for al Shabaab and was involved in two car bomb attacks in the capital in April 2008.
{{/usCountry}}According to the U.N. Security Council, Khalaf, who also has Swedish nationality, has raised funds for al Shabaab and was involved in two car bomb attacks in the capital in April 2008.
{{/usCountry}}