Turkey to treat nine injured in Somali bombing in Ankara

At least three people were killed and 21 injured in a car bombing attack carried out by Al Shabab in Somalia last week that targeted Turkish engineers working on a road near the capital Mogadishu.

Members of medical team head to Mogadishu to bring back those injured in suicide car bombing.
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Members of medical team head to Mogadishu to bring back those injured in suicide car bombing.

Nine people injured in a bomb attack on Saturday in Somalia, including three Turkish nationals, will be given medical treatment in Turkey's capital, Ankara, Turkey's ambassador to Mogadishu said.

Mehmet Yilmaz told a news conference that Ankara would continue aid work in the country despite recent attacks by Al Qaeda linked terror group al Shabaab that have targeted Turkish workers.

"This will not stop us from helping Somalia," Yilmaz said. "We shall continue work. Somalia and Turkey have good relations."

Saturday's suicide car bombing by al Shabaab occurred in Afgoye, about 30 km northwest of the capital, and targeted Turkish construction workers who were having lunch with local police.

A total of 21 people were injured in the attack, among them six Turks.

"We are flying three injured Turks and six Somalis," Yilmaz said at Mogadishu Airport, where their plane was about to take off. All nine were in a serious condition, he said.

Turkey has been a major donor to Somalia following a famine in 2011.

A group of Turkish engineers working on road construction were among those hurt in late December by a blast at a checkpoint in Mogadishu that killed at least 90 people.

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