Car Bomb Kills 3, Wounds 6 at Checkpoint in Somali Capital

Security forces and others stand by the wreckage of vehicles after a vehicle bomb attack on a security checkpoint located near the presidential palace, in Mogadishu, Somalia on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

NAIROBI, Kenya—A car bomb exploded at a checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Wednesday morning, killing three people and wounding six others, a local official said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab terrorist group quickly claimed responsibility.

Salah Omar, a spokesman for Mogadishu’s mayor, told The Associated Press the blast occurred as soldiers conducted searches at a checkpoint. He said the bomb attached to the vehicle was remotely detonated.