A soldier was killed when a suspected bomb exploded Monday at an airport in Somalia as security staff inspected luggage for an outgoing flight, two Western officials said.
The bomb likely was hidden in electronic equipment, they said.
Two explosive devices — disguised as a laptop and another electronic gadget — were recovered earlier Monday at Beledweyne Airport, Western officials said. Beledweyne is north of Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, near the Ethiopian border.
Somali police had more than one suspect in custody, and they were being interrogated, Western officials said. At least one person also was injured in the blast, the officials said.
In February, one person was killed and two injured when a bomb disguised as a laptop exploded during a Daallo Airlines flight leaving Mogadishu.
The suspected bomber was sucked out of the hole from the February 2 explosion in the plane’s fuselage. Despite the gaping hole, the pilot was able to land the plane safely.
The sophistication of that explosive device concerned officials, a source close to the investigation told CNN, as it made it through airport luggage scanners undetected, disguised as a laptop.
Somali insurgent group, Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for last month’s attack.
Al-Shabaab is battling the Somali government and African Union forces in Somalia, and its fighters launch regular bombing and shooting attacks across the country.
