Dubai: In Somalia, at least 39 people have been killed and about 27 injured in a car bomb blast in the capital, Mogadishu. The car blew up in the city’s southern Madina district ripping through shops and food stalls yesterday.

This is the first major attack in the capital since the election of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed earlier this month. No group has claimed responsibility, although al-Shabab militants are likely to be the prime suspects. Few days ago, a senior al-Shabab commander vowed to target the President’s supporters.

In a Twitter post, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemned the blast, saying that it shows the “cruelty” of al-Shabab. A few hours before the blast, al-Shabab denounced the new president as an “apostate” and vowed to fight against his government.