Mogadishu (dpa) – At least three people died Wednesday when a bomb went off in the compound housing Somalia's presidential palace, with militant group al-Shabab claiming responsibility. “The bomb went off near the house of the parliamentary speaker and at least three people were killed,” Paddy Ankunda, spokesman for the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM), told dpa. “They (the dead) were all civilians who were moving around the area,” Ankunda added. Witnesses said the suicide blast was carried out by a man dressed in government uniform. Islamist militia al-Shabab, which has been battling to oust the internationally backed government since early 2007, claimed responsibility for the blast and said it had killed “many” government soldiers. The insurgents, under pressure from AMISOM and government forces, abandoned conventional tactics in Mogadishu last August. Instead, they have increased their campaign of suicide bombing and roadside bombs, claiming hundreds of lives. Despite the continued violence, Mogadishu has opened up to aid workers and visiting politicians looking to bolster the government and promote stability. South Africa and Britain are among nations to have re-established direct diplomatic links with Somalia's government – a sign of growing confidence that the chaos which first kicked off with the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre may be easing. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/lrB9T Tags: Attack, Bomb, featured, Shabab, Somalia Section: East Africa, Latest News
