International airport security measures continue to come under fire after an explosive device built into a laptop was detonated on a Somali plane on Feb. 2. CNN is reporting the explosive was “sophisticated” and passed through X-ray machines without detection at the Mogadishu airport.
The bomber was blown out of the plane and the plane returned to the airport with two people injured onboard.
The damage was limited since it was detonated early in the flight before it could reach cruising altitude, according to the report. What caused the early detonation? Possibly the hour delay prior to the departure of the flight.
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Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh, a Somali national, is the suspected bomber. According to CNN, the bomber sat in the optimal location on the flight to maximize damage. Had the flight reached cruising altitude, a secondary explosion could have occurred in the fuel tank of the plane.
Two airport workers are under suspicion in the plot after they put the laptop on the X-ray belt and handed the laptop back to the suspected bomber.
Be sure to read the full report in the link above.
