Somali minister killed in suicide attack

Somali minister killed in suicide attack

2011-06-11 03:07:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOGADISHU (BNO NEWS) -- Somalia's interior and security minister on Friday was killed in a suicide attack at his home in the capital Mogadishu, a government official said.

Somali Information Ministry spokesman Abdelfatah Abdinur told Xinhua news agency that Minister Abdishakur Sheikh Hassan died of his injuries after being rushed to the hospital. There were reports that a female family member was the suicide attacker, but the spokesman would not confirm.

Several other people were reported to have been injured in the attack including the minister's bodyguards.

Islamist al-Shabaab movement has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was part of their "holy war" against the Somali government and African Union peacekeepers.

On Thursday, at least two people were killed after suicide bombers attacked a Mogadishu seaport. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab group is often blamed for suicide bombings and other explosions in Somalia.

The radical al-Shabaab movement has in the past weeks faced major losses to the government military offensive. African Union peacekeepers said the combined forces now control about 60 percent of the capital. The government, however, has little influence beyond Mogadishu, and al-Shabaab controls much of south and center of the war ravaged east African country.

Somalia has not had an effective government since Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown two decades ago.

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