Bomb explodes near Turkish delegation in Somalia
A suicide car bomb exploded at the gate of a Mogadishu hotel where Turkish delegates were meeting Thursday, a day ahead of a visit by their President Tayyip Erdogan to the Somali capital, police said, according to Reuters.
"The Turkish delegates are safe inside the hotel," police captain Farah Nur told Reuters. "The hotel was busy."
A Reuters witness saw two police officers lying dead in front of the destroyed gate, and what appeared to be the mangled body of the suicide bomber.
In Ankara, Turkish officials said there were no casualties among the Turkish delegation and Erdogan's visit would go ahead.
Mogadishu is the frequent target of car bombs, and the city has been under heavy security ahead of Erdogan's visit.
Erdogan became the first non-African leader to visit war-torn Somalia in nearly 20 years when he traveled there in 2011, as Turkey's prime minister.