4 footballers perish in a car bomb in Somalia 

Story from Kenneth AFOR, Lagos

Not more than four home-based footballers in Somalia have been killed after an explosion believed to have been caused by a bomb-shattered their bus on Friday.

According to The Times of India quoting a police officer and eyewitnesses, ten players from the Jubaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry club were heading off for a game at the Kismayo city stadium in southern Somalia when the blast hit.

“The players were riding in a bus when the explosion went off, presumably inside the vehicle. There are investigations going on but we presume the device was planted onto the bus,” said police officer Mohamed Sadiq.

He said four football players were killed and five others wounded.

“The blast was huge and it caused devastating fire which burned down the bus, people rushed to remove the dead bodies and wounded players,” said witness Ibrahim Ahmed.

“I saw the burning bus and three dead bodies of the players — this was horrible because football players are not politicians,” added another witness, Said Adan.

There have been incessant insurgent activities in the region that borders Kenya by the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab jihadist.

The extremists have been fighting to overthrow the federal government since 2007 and frequently attack government, security and civilian targets.