Soccer fans were just trying to watch one of the biggest international games of the year Sunday, but they experienced horror and devastation instead.
On Sunday, a car bomb exploded outside of a popular cafe in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, killing at least five people initially and injuring at least 20 more.
After time had passed, security officials in the country told a news agency called AFP that the death toll rose to nine.
The bomb exploded at around 10:30 p.m. local time, just as people were packing into the Top Coffee popular cafe. Plenty of people were flocking to the spot to watch the Euro 2024 Final that was taking place between England and Spain.
The Euros are a very popular international soccer event that takes place between the top countries in Europe. It is held every four years, in the two years before or after the World Cup.
After the attack took place, a jihadist group called al-Shabab claimed responsibility for it.
At the time that it happened, the restaurant was full of patrons. Some people were even outside of the cafe when the bomb exploded. Witnesses said that when it went off, people went scrambling to try to find safety.
The BBC spoke with one survivor, Mohamed Muse, who said:
“We heard a loud, horrifying explosion during the first half of the game that we were watching. Everyone had to figure out how to save themselves. I saw people in danger, injured people screaming for help, and others confused — it was terrifying.”
The AFP news outlet also spoke to another witness who said some people who were in the cafe at the time were able to escape by climbing up ladders that were near the back and then jumping out of it over a wall.
In addition to killing nine people and injuring many others, the explosion that happened on Sunday damaged many buildings and destroyed a bunch of other cars.
According to al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda, they were targeting places where government and security workers would possibly meet during the night.
The area where the cafe is located is close to Villa Somalia, which is where the official presidential residence in Somalia is located.
Over the past 17 years, al-Shabab has carried out various bombings throughout the capital city, as well as other parts of the country.
Somali security forces have been carrying out an offensive campaign against the group in recent months, which has resulted in a lull in terror attacks until this past weekend.
Al-Shabab forces still have control of large swaths of Somalia. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for an attack over a radio station that’s affiliated with the group.
On Monday, Mohamed Yusuf, who works for the national security agency, told AFP:
“There were many people inside the restaurant, most of them youth who were watching the football match … but thanks to God, most of them made their way out safely after using ladders to climb and jump over the backside perimeter wall.”
