Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia have claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a U.N. convoy in the capital, Mogadishu, Thursday during morning rush hour that killed at least eight people and wounded 17.
An Al-Shabab spokesman told Reuters news agency the suicide car bombing Thursday was aimed at a U.N. security convoy.
It wasn’t immediately clear if any UN staff were among the casualties.
But Somali police spokesman Abdifatah Aden Hassan confirmed the U.N. convoy was the target.
Hassan told state media Radio Mogadishu that the attack was near several schools. The Associated Press reported several students among the victims.
Hassan said they were limited as schools were already on weekend break.
He said most casualties were small business owners and passersby in the area, since there were no lessons for students today.
At least one school appeared damaged by the blast, with social media images showing a blown-out classroom and debris scattered across desks.
The U.S. embassy in Mogadishu strongly condemned the attack in a Tweet, saying the people of Somalia deserve to live without fear of attack.
The Islamist militant Al-Shabab group carries out frequent attacks in Somalia with the aim of overthrowing the government.
