At least 17 people, including four Somali ministers and two journalists have been killed and over 60 others injured in deadly suicide bomb blast that ripped through a function in Somalia’s restive capital of Mogadishu, Radio Garowe reports.
 
According to witnesses, a ‘lady’ suicide bomber detonated explosives near the VIP lounge where the top government officials, who attended the graduation ceremony for Banadir University, were seated.
 
The dead ministers are Health Minister Qamar Aden Ali, High and lower Education Ministers Pro. Ibrahim Hassan Adoow, Abdullahi Wayel, Sports and youth Minister Saleman Olad Robleh.
 
“The explosion happened at the podium at the time when Pro. Mohamed Warsame was delivering his speech,” Mohamed Liban, one of the graduates told Garowe Online.
 
The dead journalists are Mahamed Amin Adan Abdulle of Shabele Radio and Hassan Ali Hassan [Fantastic], Al Arabiya television Mogadishu director.
 
Duniyo Ali Mahamed, the head of  Medina hospital’s staffs said more than 60 wounded people, most of them graduates have been admitted in the hospital.
 
Shortly after the explosion, the African Union (AU) through a statement issued from Nairobi, Kenya condemned the heinous act.

"The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) condemns in the strongest terms possible today's suicide attack by armed opposition groups resulting in the death of ministers of the Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and ordinary citizens," said the emailed-statement.
 
Somalia’s insurgent Al-Shabaab group is suspected to be behind the attack, which comes at the time when the bullet-ridden seaside capital has seen heightened violence between rebels and AU-backed government forces.

GAROWE ONLINE