Somali police confirm death of 2 soldiers in Mogadishu blast

At least two soldiers were killed and five others wounded in simultaneous bomb attacks early Wednesday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, the police confirmed.

Police spokesperson, Sadik Aden Ali said the 1:40 a.m. attack at the Kahda district police station left three soldiers and two civilians wounded.

He said the wounded two civilians were in a residential area near the scene.

The police and witnesses said al-Shabab militants targeted the police station, two security checkpoints, and the district administration office simultaneously in the Kahda district before the gunfight broke out.

“Al-Shabab fired several rounds of mortars to hit their target before leaving. They targeted the Somali security forces manning the police station and checkpoints,” said a resident who declined to be named.

Al-Shabab extremist group which has staged such attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the past, claimed responsibility for the attack in the restive city.

The Somali National Army (SNA) backed by African Union forces drove the al-Shabab militant group out of Mogadishu in 2011, but the Islamist group is still capable of conducting attacks, targeting government installations, hotels, restaurants and public places.

Source » bignewsnetwork.com