According to CGTN reporting on 14 April 2021, a minibus triggered an improvised explosive device (IED) on a road 50km north of Mogadishu. At least 15 people were killed and four wounded. No one has yet claimed responsibility but the government has put the blame on al-Shabaab. Yonas Dembele, World Watch Research analyst, comments: "The al-Shabaab insurgency has killed thousands of civilians in the region in the past 12 years. It controls major parts of the countryside and carries out attacks against government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and regional towns. In this specific attack, the IED may well have been intended for the government convoys patrolling the road. Nevertheless, the continual killing of civilians shows how ruthless the group is. Since the beginning of 2021 it seems that al-Shabaab has stepped up its attacks; if the country is plunged into further instability due to the current political crisis, the consequences will be dire. Christians are forced to keep a very low profile and any increase in al-Shabaab"s influence puts them at grave risk."