Somalia car bomb kills 6

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - At least six people were killed and more than six others wounded when a car bomb exploded near a busy coffee shop close to Somalia’s immigration headquarters in the capital Mogadishu on Monday evening.

The incident took place around 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) local time.

Abdifatah Omar Hallane, a spokesman for the Banadir regional administration, told reporters a Somali National Army general was among the dead.

The dead general was identified as Abdi Bashir Adan.

Victims were rushed to the Madina and Recep Tayyip Erdogan hospitals in Mogadishu, Hallane said.

Bilow Ali, an eyewitness, told Anadolu Agency the attack happened during rush hour when a large number people were in the area, including civilians and officials.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab has threatened to continue their activities against the internationally recognized government.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was elected earlier this year, has declared war against al-Shabaab and said his government will overcome the group within two years.

Monday's attack comes hours after a landline killed three soldiers and wounded five others in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region.