Suicide bomber targets restaurant in Somali capital, 5 killed

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A suicide bomber targeted a busy restaurant in the Somali capital on Tuesday, killing at least 5 people as the country is heading to a contested election scheduled for December.

Another 8 people were wounded in the attack, with some of them in critical condition, and the toll likely to rise, according to health officials and police. Al-Shabaab has claimed for the deadly attack in the city.

The suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his waist inside a busy restaurant near the heavily fortified General Kahiye police academy during lunch-time. The blast sent thick black smoke into the sky.

In a statement posted on its affiliated websites, the Al-Qaeda’s ally, Al-Shabaab said the attacker has targeted key police gathering and subsequently killed 12 officers and injured 14 others on the spot.

The al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab often targets government buildings such as the presidential palace and other high-profile parts of Mogadishu with bombings.

The security officials said the attack appeared to be a shift in tactics, as the extremists in the past had rarely managed to infiltrate government buildings without first detonating one or more vehicle bombs.

The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab was chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 but still controls parts of the Horn of Africa nation's south and central regions and is a frequent target of U.S. airstrikes.

GAROWE ONLINE