MOGADISHU, Somalia Dec 31 (Garowe Online) - Only two days after Somali and allied Ethiopian troops marched into Mogadishu, there are emerging reports that an explosion Saturday night might’ve targeted nearby Ethiopian soldiers.

The explosion occurred around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday near Hotel Ramadan in Mogadishu’s Yaaqshiid district. At least 2 people, neither of which was a soldier, were confirmed dead at the scene with one other person critically wounded.

Witnesses told Garowe Online that the explosion was intended for Somali and Ethiopian military officers who live in Hotel Ramadan, the former headquarters of the recently-routed Islamic Courts movement.

Other reports suggested the bomb was left behind by the departing Islamist militia and exploded accidently.

Security was tightened around Hotel Ramadan and locals were ordered not to carry weapons in the area.

While thousands of Islamist militiamen fled to the southern port of Kismayo, others changed clothes and melted back into the Mogadishu population.

There are worries that an insurgency might begin in Mogadishu to resist the presence of Ethiopian troops.

Garowe Online News