MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali official says it was a bomb that blew a hole in a jetliner, killing one person and forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Tuesday.
Somalia’s transport minister, Ali Jama Jangali, said at a press conference Saturday that investigators concluded that a bomb caused the hole and was intended to cause the Dubai-based Daallo Airlines jet to crash. He said the findings are preliminary and the investigation is continuing.
The Airbus 321 managed to land and 73 of the 74 passengers got off safely. One man was who was missing was later confirmed to have died, but Somalia’s government gave no details about what happened.
A senior Somali intelligence official told the Associated Press that six people have been arrested in connection with the blast after examinations of CCTV images in the airport. He insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press about the matter.
