6 killed in suicide bombing attack in Somalia

At least six people, including four Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers, were killed and several others wounded on Saturday in a suicide bombing attack near Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, reported Xinhua, quoting police.

A car laden with explosives exploded at a security checkpoint at Elasha Biyaha area, about 20 km north of Mogadishu, Police Force Spokesperson Sadiq Aden Ali said.

The suicide bomber who was heading to Mogadishu where he planned to stage the attack was shot by the soldiers who tried to prevent him from passing through the checkpoint at around 5:30 a.m. (0230 GMT), Ali said.

"Al-Shabab terrorists carried out the suicide attack this morning which inflicted casualties on both soldiers and civilians around and destroyed properties and residences," he said.

Videos and pictures from the scene show mass destruction of houses near the checkpoint.

Al-Shabab militants have claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters killed 49 SNA soldiers.

The government has been waging a war against al-Shabab militants since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud came into power in May 2022. However, the terrorist group still controls some parts of rural areas in southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere despite crackdowns by government forces.