By Roy Mabasa
The Philippine government on Sunday condemned the latest incident of a truck bombing in Somalia that killed more than 70 individuals and injured dozens of others.
Somalis watch the wreckage of the car bomb after an attack on a European Union military convoy in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. A Somali police officer says a suicide car bomber has targeted a European Union military convoy carrying Italian military trainers in the Somali capital Monday. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh/MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“The Philippines has long been in the forefront of the fight against terrorism and extreme violence and supports international efforts to eradicate them,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi which has jurisdiction over Somalia, it said no Filipino was involved in the explosion that rocked the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
It was reported that the truck bomb exploded during rush hour in the capital just as when the people were preparing to return to work after a weekend.
Although Reuters had earlier reported that at least 79 individuals were killed and 120 others were injured, the actual number of casualties and those injured could still rise as the investigation progresses.
The Somali government has pointed its finger to the East Africa-based jihadist youth group Al-Shabaab as the alleged culprit in the bloody incident.