At least two people were reported injured in an explosion aboard Daallo Airlines Airbus A321 flight in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.There were conflicting reports about whether flight D3159 made an emergency landing or failed to take off from the Mogadishu International Airport en route to Djibouti. Reports from VOA Somali and AirLive.net indicated a possible fire on board and photos showed a blown out section of the plane next to a passenger window near the wing.Based on photos, it appeared that any fire or explosion was contained on the airport’s tarmac. The condition of the injured passengers is unknown, but no fatalities have been reported.
Officials have not yet provided any details to explain what might have caused the blast. Dallo is a Somali-owned airline based in Dubai with a hub in Djibouti.Foreign vehicles and convoys traveling along the road between Mogadishu and the international airport, which is also near the United Nations compound, are often targeted by militant attacks.The Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab has ramped up activities since the start of 2016. In January, five gunmen from the group attacked a popular beachfront restaurant, killing 17 people. The fighters also set off two car bombs nearby.The beach violence came just days after al Shabaab carried out an assault on a Kenyan military base, reportedly killing at least 100 soldiers and kidnapping others. The Kenyan soldiers make up a large contingent of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM.
source:Vice News
