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Blast in Somali Capital Kills At Least 7

by Harun Maruf

   WASHINGTON --

   Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a
   massive explosion in the capital Tuesday that killed at least seven
   people.
   Witnesses say a minibus laden with explosives hit the headquarters of
   Mogadishu's Wadajir district in the southern part of the city around
   12:40 p.m. local time.

   A reporter for VOA's Somali Service, Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdulle, is at
   the scene of the explosion and says he saw seven bodies.
   Many people are under the rubble and casualty numbers are expected to
   rise, he says.

   The explosion comes seven days after al-Shabab attacked two Mogadishu
   restaurants with a car bomb and gunfire. That attack left 29 people
   dead, including the six attackers.
   Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the latest attack with a statement
   on an affiliate website.