Civilian killed in Mogadishu blast

A man tries to extinguish a burning car after it exploded near Hamaerweyne market in Mogadishu.

A man tries to extinguish a burning car after it exploded near Hamaerweyne market in Mogadishu.

Published Jul 24, 2013

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Mogadishu - At least one person was killed and several others were wounded on Wednesday when a car bomb exploded in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, the latest in a string of attacks, police said.

The blast targeted a car belonging to a member of parliament who was not hurt in the attack.

“The bomb destroyed the car of lawmaker Sheikh Adan Mader but he escaped the attack unharmed,” Somali police official Mohamed Ali said. “One civilian was killed and several others injured.”

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents have carried out a series of bombings, attacks and killings in a bid to overthrow the internationally-backed government.

Abdulahi Elmi, a witness who was nearby when the car exploded, said he had seen seven civilians wounded by the blast.

Despite recent infighting inside the Shebab and the loss of a series of towns to a 17 700-strong African Union force, analysts warn the extremist group is far from defeated. - AFP

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