At least two people including a regional minister were killed and several others wounded in a blast in Baidoa, South-West State of Somalia, on Friday, an official confirmed.
Ilyas Ali Nor, information minister for the state, said his counterpart for justice, Hassan Ibrahim Hassan (Lugbur), and one of his sons were killed by an explosive device near their home after leaving a mosque in Baidoa town.
“We lost the minister of justice and his son in an explosion in Baidoa town today. Several others were wounded,” Nor told reporters. “Al-Shabab militants were behind the attack.”
Family members of the deceased minister told Xinhua by phone that two of his other sons were among those wounded in the blast.
Al-Shabab still controls some parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.
Allied forces have intensified military operations in territory formerly controlled by the extremist group. Al-Shabab was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.
Source – Xinhua
