Suicide bombing in Somali kills 13 people near peacekeeping base

Somali: At least 13 people has been killed in a suicide bomb attack at the gates of the African Union's main peacekeeping base in Mogadishu on Tuesday, an attack the Islamist militants of al-Shabab claim responsibility for.

A police and witness account said the force of the bombings destroyed the nearby Mogadishu's airport window, raining arriving passengers with shattered glass and forced the suspension of flights.

The attack on the AMISOM peacekeeping force's base has been condemned by the United States.
The militant group wants to oust Somalia's western-backed government so that it can enforce sharia law on the country.

"At least 13 people - mostly security forces - died in the two car bomb blasts," and 12 others were wounded, police officer Abdiqadir Omar.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, took responsibility for the two car bombs.

According to police, the first attacker detonated a car bomb and the second tried to walk into the base but was shot and exploded at the gate.


White House spokesman Ned Price in a statement said the US stood with Somalia in its fight against "despicable acts of terrorism that seek to destabilise" the country.

In a Twitter message by AMISOM, it condemned the "senseless attacks that aim to disrupt and cripple the lives of ordinary Somalis".