'A dark day for my community': Ottawa Somalis react to Saturday bombing

Members of Ottawa's Somalicommunity are coming together to support each other and consider possible responses to Saturday's deadly bombing inMogadishu.

Farah Aw-Osman,executive director of Canadian Friends of Somalia, said his group is looking at a range of options,including fundraising for the victims and appealing to the Canadian government to assist Somalia with the recovery and identification of the dead.

"We are very shocked, and dismayed," Aw-Osmansaid. "This is avery savage act of terrorism."

The truck bombing targeted a crowded streetin Mogadishu on Saturday, killing more than 300 people andwounding about 300 others. Somalia's government is blaming theal-Qaeda-linkedal-Shababextremist group.

Aw-Osmansaid an Ottawa man lost his brother in Saturday's blast.

"It took hours and hours to recover his body," Aw-Osmansaid.

'Too sad to think about'

At a commercial building on Ottawa's Terminal Avenue, a steady trickle of Somalis gathered to shop at the plaza's clothing boutiques.

At Hella Clothing and Variety, owner Amina Ali said she was torn between seeking updates on the attack and trying to ignore what she called an event "too sad to think about."

"It is a dark day for my community," Ali said. "It touches every Somali around the world, wherever we are."

Ali, who came to Canada 27 years ago, said she had tried to reach relatives in Mogadishu but that there was continuing confusion about the names of the victims.

"We still don't know if our family is included. We don't know yet."

Aw-Osman said he was happy to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeauand Ottawa police Chief CharlesBordeleau express condolencesand sympathy for the victims of the attack.

Aw-Osman saidmembers of the community will gather Monday night to discuss how to go forward.