Somalia: Slain minister laid to rest in state funeral

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The top leaders of the Federal Government gathered at the presidential palace to pay their final respect to slain deputy minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Garowe Online reports.

Several government leaders, including President Farmajo, prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire, cabinet ministers, House speaker, members of parliament and family members attended the funeral.

The deputy minister, Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla who was also a member of Somali parliament died in Saturday's Al-Shabab attack at a large compound housing the ministries of Labour and Public works.

Al-Shabab gunmen on Saturday stormed the building after detonating two car bombs at the gates of the building in a heavily protected area near the headquarters of the country's intelligence agency.

At least 10 people, including the minister, were killed and dozens of others, mostly civil servants wounded in the short-lived siege at the ministry building.

The style of the attack echoed previous ones by al-Shabab in Mogadishu as well as the attack in early this month at an upscale Makka Al-Mukarama hotel complex in the capital that killed at least 30 people.

The United Nations mission in Somalia and others in the International community quickly condemned the attack, one of the worst in Mogadishu in months.

Al-Shabab, which is trying to topple Somalia's Western-backed government, was ejected from Mogadishu in 2011 and has since been driven from most of its other strongholds. 

GAROWE ONLINE