The suicide bombing that killed 23 people in Somalia last week was carried out by a man who grew up in Copenhagen
A suicide bomb that killed 23 people in Mogadishu last week was detonated by a young Danish-Somali man, reports Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
Close friends have confirmed Somali police’s identification of the 24-year-old man from pictures taken after the blast, which devastated a hotel ceremony for newly educated doctors.
The suspect lived 20 years in Denmark, growing up in the city district of Brønshøj and later living in the suburb of Rødovre.
Danish intelligence service PET has not released the name of the man, nor has it yet made a positive identification. But yesterday the agency reported that the bomber was ‘a Somali citizen who had residence in Denmark’.
But after being shown pictures of the man’s body by PET, Abdirashid Nur Artan said he was certain the bomber was his childhood friend.
‘I’m unfortunately convinced it’s my friend in the photos,’ said Artan. ‘Several of our other friends are saying the same thing. It’s scary and I almost can’t believe it.’Somali media have indicated the bomber had connections to al-Qaeda offshoot group Mujahidin al-Shabaab. But Artan said he played football with the suspect and that the young man was well-liked.
‘He was the type who could always get away with making fun of people and causing a little harmless mischief on the football club,’ said Artan. ‘But it was done in a very charming way and almost everyone liked him.’
Artan admitted, however, that before leaving Denmark last year his friend became very isolated and often talked about wanting to get out of the country.
According to a PET press release, the 25-year-old man is one of many people with connections to Denmark who are being trained as terrorists abroad.
‘As PET has indicated numerous times in the past, there are people with ties to Denmark who have gone through militant Islamic training and radicalisation and who are involved in terror-related activities in several countries, including in Somalia.’
