In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the attack took place near the Mogadishu-Afgoya road construction work, which was funded by the Qatari government and conducted by a Turkish company. The ministry noted that four Turkish nationals have been injured in the attack. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said a total of 14 people were injured in the attack.

Pledging solidarity with the Somalian government and people, the Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, which was claimed by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab terrorist group, according to a statement from its so-called military operation spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu spoke to relatives of the victims over phone, according to diplomatic sources speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA).

He extended condolences to the families of those killed in the attack and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, the sources said. He also spoke to the owner of the company and received an update on the current situation, they added.

"I wish God's mercy upon those who lost their lives in the heinous terrorist attack against a Turkish company in Somalia and a speedy recovery to the injured people," Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter, stressing that Turkish people have no other motive than helping the people of Somalia.

The bombing took place in the village of Lafole, located some 22 kilometers (13 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, according to a local police officer. The wounded Turkish nationals were rushed to Erdoğan Hospital in Mogadishu for treatment.

This is the second time a road project has been attacked by al-Shabab. In January last year, a bomb-laden vehicle exploded in Afgoye, killing at least 15 people and wounding dozens, including several Turkish citizens. The attack temporarily halted the project, which recommenced a few months ago after security was improved.

A group of Turkish engineers was also among those caught in a blast that killed at least 90 people at a checkpoint in Mogadishu in December 2019.

Dismissing earlier reports that the attack targeted Turkish troops in the country, security sources said the perpetrator carried it out against Turkish workers by blowing himself up as he rode his motorcycle.

The attack took place some 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from the Turkish military base, Camp TURKSOM, in Mogadishu and no military personnel has been affected by the attack, the sources added.

Inaugurated in 2017, the Turkish base in Somalia is Ankara's biggest overseas military training base and among the largest foreign-run military centers in the war-torn country.

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