Two suicide bombers blow themselves up on way to World Cup match

Two Somali suicide bombers blew themselves up accidentally in a failed attack on the weekend’s World Cup qualifier between Ethiopia and Nigeria in Addis Ababa.

According to the Calgary Sun, the incident occurred in the Bole district of the city around 5km from the stadium where Sunday’s match was to be played.

The detonation took place at a residential property about one hour before the match was due to kick off, with three suspects detained at the scene. The area is home to a small Somali refugee population.

A government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said: “They were Somali nationals and plotted to carry out a suicide attack disguised as fans on either the stadium or areas where large crowds gathered to watch the game.

“Heavy police presence must have caused their nervousness and state of agitation which led to the detonation that caused their own death.”

The report suggests that football shirts, explosives, grenades and firearms were discovered at the scene.

While there has been no claim of responsibility thus far, Somali Al-Shabaab rebels have promised to exact revenge on Ethiopia for sending troops into Somalia to fight Al-Qaeda militants, the Calgary Sun reports.