Soldiers slightly hurt in Djibouti suicide attack

Six Dutch soldiers were injured during a suicide attack in Djibouti Saturday evening, but they continued their mission to Somalia, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense reported.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"27889","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-19799","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"150","height":"150","alt":"djibouti"}}]]The soldiers –crew of the Zr. Ms. De Zeven Provinciën- were sitting in a restaurant in the capital of Djibouti when two loud blasts occurred. The restaurant was filled with Western military personnel when the suicide attackers detonated grenades.

The blast killed three and wounded at least 15 Djibouti's Interior Ministry has said. "Early indications of the investigations show that the attackers were two suicide bombers of Somali origin; a man and a veiled woman," the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not say if any group planned the bombing, the first of its kind in the country. National security forces took over the restaurant premises and secured the area.

Elsevier reports that according to the Dutch Defense Ministry the Dutch soldiers only sustained slight injuries during the attack. “They were treated on board the ship and were then able to call home,” the spokesperson  is quoted.

The Zr. Ms. De Zeven Provinciën had made a short stop in Djibouti, en route to Somalia, which it shares its southern border with. The ship had set sail again early Monday morning; an aerial defense and commando frigate, it is in the area to take part in the anti-piracy mission Atalanta that is being conducted in the waters surrounding Somalia.