Bloomington,MN : Minn. father victim in deadly truck bomb attack in Somalia on October, Saturday 14th 2017

A Bloomington father was killed in a truck bombing in Somalia on Saturday that is being called the deadliest attack in the country's history, with 276 dead and close to 300 more injured.

According to the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Ahmed AbdiKarin Eyow had just checked into his hotel and was resting when the bomb exploded. He was there to apply for a job at the United Nations.


"He left MN on Saturday, October 7, 2017 with great hope, looking forward to a chance to make a difference in his home country. He landed in Kenya, visiting with family for about a week until moving on to Mogadishu, Somlia," according to a gofundme account set up by the Islamic center to help provide for Eyow's wife and children.

Eyow was born in Somalia in 1967. "When the government collapsed in 1991 he became a refugee, fleeing to Eritrea where he worked for some time, finally making his way to the US in 1998" and settled in Minnesota. He married and completed a bachelor's degree in human services in 2016, according to the fundraising page.

"He was working as a welder but longed to return to his homeland of Somalia. He thought that he could help bring back stability to Somalia by applying for a job as a representative with the UN."

He leaves behind three children between the ages of 10 and 14.

"The family is still reeling from the shock of losing their father and their future is unclear. We ask for the help of anyone reading this to donate what they can to help preserve the security of this family and support them in their dire time of need," the gofundme page said.

Saturday's attack in Mogadishu appeared to target a hotel on a busy road in Hodan district, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein said. Security forces had been trailing the truck after it raised suspicions, he said.

Police said people were trapped in the rubble of the Safari Hotel, which was largely destroyed in the explosion. The hotel is close to Somalia's foreign ministry.


Source :
Minn. father victim in deadly truck bomb attack in Somalia