Bomb blast kills at least 8 in Somali capital

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least eight people were killed over 17 others wounded in a car bombing that rocked Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Thursday morning, officials said.

A police officer who spoke to Anadolu Agency said the attack targeted a convoy of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

"The bomb attack took place during rush hour and there are a lot casualties but I can confirm that at least eight people were killed and more than 17 others were wounded," he said.

The dead and injured include students and teachers who were at a school near the bomb site, he added.

According to local media, police also confirmed that the target of the attack was a convoy belonging to a local firm that "guards the UN" but did not elaborate on whether any UN staffers were killed or injured in the blast.

Abdukadir Adan, the chairman of a local ambulance service, said on Twitter that the attack took place in front of a school in the district of Hodan, killing and injuring students and civilians nearby.

Somali-based al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted an AMISOM convoy.