A suspected member of the al-Shabab militant group lobbed a hand grenade into a market in Mogadishu on Tuesday, wounding nine civilians, witnesses and officials said.
“A suspected member of al-Shabab militants...carried out the attack on a busy market and...managed to escape...injuring at least nine people,” said Abukar Sheikh Ahmed, the deputy commissioner of Wadajir District.
Residents were shopping at the market for the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of holy month of Ramadan, and is celebrated in most of the Muslim world on Wednesday, July 6.
"When the grenade went off, I was shocked and ducked for a minute, then I saw at least nine people on the ground with injuries including a pregnant woman, lying beside the road," said Faadumo Xaaji, who said she saw the attack from her water vending stand.
Another witness said an old man asking for money was among the injured.
"He was a poor, old beggar whom I used to see begging along the streets of the market for more than five years I have been here, and now he sustained injuries. Those behind such attacks have nothing to do with humanity and religion,” said Abdullahi Nuur, a businessman who runs a shop in the market.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but because it has the hallmarks of al-Shabab militants, local authorities have blamed the militants.