Somali lawmaker among 48 killed in suicide bombing at polling station

Somalian officials and authorities said a prominent lawmaker was among the 48 individuals killed in a suicide bombing at a polling station, The Associated Press reported. 

Opposition lawmaker Amina Mohamed Abdi was at the Beledweyne polling station campaigning for reelection for her seat in the National Assembly when the attack happened.

Somalia’s Hirshabelle state president Ali Gulawe told reporters that the death toll from the attack rose from 15 to 48 as more victims died from their injuries, adding 108 people suffered injuries as well, according to the AP. 

“I was at a walking distance to the polling station when a suicide bomber rushed towards the member of parliament Amina and embraced her and blew himself up,” eyewitness Dhaqane Hassan told the newswire.  “Shots were fired in the air by the soldiers who seemed shocked, but unfortunately she instantly died at the scene.”

In a statement, Somalia lawmaker Abdirizak Mohamed called his former colleague a “promising” leader who unfortunately paid the price for seeking justice for Ikram Tahli, a female intelligence officer whose killing Abdi was trying to investigate. 

Abdi, was also an outspoken critic of Somalia’s government, the AP reported.

“Somalia has lost a promising giant leader, an activist, a fearless advocate who finally paid the ultimate price for seeking justice for Ikram Tahlil,” Mohamed said in his statement.

This comes as Al-Shabab, a Somalian extremist rebel group, claimed responsibility for the attack, as several terrorist attacks occurred in Beledweyne Wednesday where former lawmaker Hassan Dhuhul was killed among others.

Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble both condemned the attacks, the AP noted.