Al Jazeera: Somali jet suspect 'checked in on Turkish Airlines'
The suspected suicide bomber who blew himself up aboard a Somali airliner on a flight from Mogadishu to Djibouti was meant to board a Turkish Airlines flight, the head of Daallo Airlines told Al Jazeera. (...)
The 74 passengers aboard the flight were originally checked in with Turkish Airlines, which flies to Somalia three times per week, Mohamed Ibrahim Yasin Olad, Daallo Airlines chief told Al Jazeera on Sunday.
"They were not our passengers. Turkish Airlines cancelled its flight from Mogadishu that morning because their incoming flight from Djibouti could not come to Mogadishu because of what they said was strong wind," Olad said.
"They requested we carry the passengers on their behalf to Djibouti where they would continue their journey on a Turkish Airlines flight," Olad added.
"Turkish Airlines have not been in contact with us since the incident happened. You can say they are trying to distance themselves from the incident." Olad said. (...)
Al Jazeera contacted Turkish Airlines for comment but so far did not get a response. (...)
Somali state TV (SNTV) aired CCTV footage on Sunday showing what it said were the suspects behind the airplane blast. The footage showed three men exchanging what appeared to be a laptop at a coffee shop at the airport.
Abdullahi Abbdisalam Borleh, a Somali national, has been named by authorities as the man who was sucked out of Flight 3159. His badly burnt body was found some 30km outside the Somali capital.
Somali government spokesman Abdisalam Aato told Al Jazeera on Sunday that more than 20 suspects were in custody in connections with the explosion.
No one has claimed responsibility for the plane blast.