Roadside blast kills senior regional officials in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A roadside bomb in Somalia on Saturday killed at least five people traveling on a bus, including a regional former minister and an aid worker, Garowe Online reports.

The blast ripped through a car carrying officials on the main road linking Jowhar, the provincial capital of Middle Shabelle region and Bal’ad town, about 40 kilometers north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

HirShabelle state president, Mohamed Abdi Waare confirmed that deputy Governor of Middle Shabelle region, Abdullahi Shitaawe and former trade minister, Sabriye Osman have been killed in the IED attack.

Security has been deteriorating in the Jowhar-Bal’ad highway since last year, with the Al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Al-Shabab carrying near-daily attacks on Somali and AU forces and HirShabelle officials.

Two bodyguards were among the dead, an official.

On June 5, two MPs from Hirshabelle regional parliament - Ismail Mumin Hilowle and Moallim Dahir Mukhtar - deputy district chairman of Rage Elle, and 9 bodyguards died in a similar attack in the area.

The frequent deadly attacks show that Al-Shabab still continues to pose a threat to Somalia and the East Africa region despite losing ground, including Mogadishu to SNA and African Union forces [AMISOM].

GAROWE ONLINE