Africa News

Somalia's defence minister survives bomb attack

Feb 15, 2010, 14:42 GMT

Nairobi - Somalia's defence minister on Monday survived a suicide bomb attack in the war-torn capital Mogadishu. Yusuf Mohamed Siyad said that a bomber drove toward his car and detonated explosives, injuring two of his bodyguards. Local media reported that five civilians were killed in the blast. Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab, which is battling to topple the weak Western-backed government, claimed responsibility for the attack. A suicide bombing late last year claimed the lives of four ministers. The assassination attempt came amid rumours of a government assault on al-Shabaab's positions in Mogadishu. Hundreds of heavily armed insurgents poured into Mogadishu last week to counter a government build up of forces. Thousands of civilians have fled the city in anticipation of heavy fighting. The Horn of African nation has been embroiled in chaos since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. More than 20,000 people have died in the current insurgency, which kicked off in early 2007 after Ethiopian forces invaded to oust an Islamist regime that ruled for six months in 2006.

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