Big explosion rocks Mogadishu

A big explosion rocked the heart of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday, as the militant group al Shabaab exploded a car bomb at a government ministry building which was then followed by another explosion and gunfire.

The Islamist group al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in the Horn of Africa country.

Officials said the first blast took place at the Ministry of Labour and there are also other ministry buildings near the scene.

Al Shabaab is fighting to topple Somalia’s western backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

The group was ejected from Mogadishu in 2011 and has since been driven from most of its other strongholds across the country. But it remains a formidable threat, with its fighters frequently carrying out bombings in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya.

Troops from Kenya form part of the African Union- mandated peacekeeping force AMISOM that helps defend Somalia’s central government.

Via Reuters