Somalia roadside bomb kills at least 20 in minibus
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A roadside bomb exploded and killed at least 20 people in a minibus in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region Thursday evening, the region's governor said, blaming the extremist group al-Shabab.
Most of the victims were women, Ibrahim Aden Ali said. He called the blast a "national disaster.
Six other people were injured, regional security official Nur Abdullahi told The Associated Press.
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The massive bomb buried beside the road struck the vehicle near Golweyn village and largely destroyed it, Abdullahi said.
"It's a horrible incident. Bodies are lying in a pool of blood, and some of them were burnt beyond recognition," he said.
Isaq Haji, a nurse at a hospital in Marka town 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu, said they had received four victims with "horrific" wounds.
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There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The Somalia-based al-Shabab claims control over parts of the largely coastal Lower Shabelle region, which has been a focus of efforts to counter the group by a 22,000-strong multinational African Union force.
The area where the bomb exploded is a contested one. Roadside bombs are commonly used by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab.
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Civilians often have been casualties in this long-chaotic Horn of Africa country. Now hundreds of thousands of Somalis are on the move as a drought threatens roughly half of the country's population of 12 million.
New Somali-American President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was elected in February, has promised to make security a priority as the weak central government tries to assert itself beyond the capital and some other urban areas.