Somalia: Senior military officers wounded in drive-by shooting in the capital

MOGADISHU, Somalia- Three senior Somali military commanders were wounded on Tuesday in a drive-by shooting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, Garowe Online reports.

The shooting occurred at El-Tusbahle area in Mogadishu's Deynile district, while the military men were on their way to the defense Ministry headquarters in the city in the morning, according to the witnesses.

"Suspected militants have blocked the officers' vehicle with their car at El Tusbahle vicinity, and sprayed it with bullets before escaping from the scene," said Police Captain Mohamed Hussein.

The officers have sustained slight wounds from Tuesday's attack, and currently receiving medical care at a hospital in Mogadishu, Hussein said.

Somali government is yet to comment on the drive-by shooting in the capital that left the military commanders hurt, which was the latest in string of attacks in the seaside city over the past few weeks.

The attack comes two days after unidentified gunmen have killed Abdi Dheere, a public servant in the Finance Ministry in Mogadishu. Later, the assassination was claimed by Al Shabaab militant group.

Al Shabaab, an Al-Qaida affiliated terror group, has been staging attacks in Somalia over the past 8 years, in an attempt to topple the UN-backed Federal Government based in Mogadishu.

GAROWEONLINE