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A suicide bomber was behind a scary mid-flight explosion earlier this week

Published Feb 5th, 2016 6:00PM EST
Suicide Bomber Daallo Airlines Airplane

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A Daallo Airlines pilot managed to safely land a plane after an explosion ripped through the jet’s fuselage a few days ago. All but one passenger survived the event, and the ensuing investigation apparently revealed that the person who died following the explosion was actually a suicide bomber who detonated an explosive device just minutes after takeoff.

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Sources familiar with the matter told CNN and The Wall Street Journal that the explosion may have been caused by a suicide attacker who brought the bomb aboard the plane by concealing it into a wheelchair. Airport staff did not check the wheelchair during the security check procedures.

The bomb, while strong enough to rip an enormous hole through the airplane’s fuselage, wasn’t powerful enough to bring down the plane. However, it did pull the suicide bomber out of the cabin and harmed two passengers of the 75 people found on board.

A body believed to be the passenger who detonated the explosive device was found 20 miles from the airport.

No organization took responsibility for the hit, but CNN says that a U.N. official said that extremist group Al-Shabaab may be responsible. The Daallo Airlines jet was flying from Mogadishu, Somalia to Djibouti, Horn of Africa. The Al-Shabaab group is responsible for many violent attacks that took place in and around Somalia in recent years.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.