PH EXPRESSES SYMPATHY TO SOMALIA, CONDEMNS BOMBING THAT KILLED 300

 

The Philippines today expressed its deep sympathy to Somalia following the deaths of more than 300 people in a terrorist bomb attacks in Mogadishu on Saturday. 

 

"We mourn with the people of Somalia over the loss of so many men, women and children in another senseless act of violence perpetrated against the innocent,"  Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said. 

 

"The Philippines joins the rest of the international community in condemning this brutal attack and expresses its hopes that the perpetrators be brought to justice," Secretary Cayetano added.

 

In his report to Manila, Ambassador Norman Garibay of the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, which has jurisdiction over

Somalia, said members of the Filipino Community informed him that so far they have not heard of any Filipinos among the casualties in the incident. 

 

Ambassador Garibay said there are about 20 Filipinos in Somalia, mostly working with the United Nations and construction companies. 

 

According to Ambassador Garibay, two explosives laden vehicles were detonated one after the other in a densely populated area of Mogadishu. 

 

Ambassador Garibay said the attack, which also wounded more than 300 others, has been described to be the deadliest terrorist attack in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which the Somali Government blames on the Islamic State affiliated Al-Shabab that has been operating in Somalia. END