Türkiye has condemned a massive bomb-and-gun attack that left dozens of people dead on a busy beach in Mogadishu, promising to continue supporting Somalia in its fight against terrorism.
At least 32 people were killed and more than 60 others wounded in the attack claimed by Al Qaeda-linked terror group Al-Shabab.
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on Friday night along the popular Lido Beach before gunmen stormed the area and opened fire, witnesses and officials said.
''We are deeply saddened by the loss of many lives and the injuries caused by the terrorist attack,'' Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
''We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack. We wish Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives and extend our condolences to the people of Somalia,'' the statement added.
Türkiye-Somalia ties
''Türkiye will continue to stand by Somalia in its fight against terrorism,'' the Turkish foreign ministry assured.
Somalia is one of the key partners of Türkiye in Africa. The two countries have enjoyed decades of strong economic and security ties as well as people-to-people cooperation.
During a phone call on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Somali counterpart Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed their commitment to boost the bilateral ties.
Türkiye has been helping Somalia with equipment and training of security forces to address its security challenges.
Recently, the Turkish parliament also approved a Presidential motion to deploy military in Somalia for two years to support the country's security forces in their fight against terrorism and other security threats under the Türkiye-Somalia defence cooperation agreement.
Similarly, in March this year, about 500 Somali soldiers who received training at the Turkish military base and defence university in Somalia's capital Mogadishu started their duty after being commissioned.
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