Security forces in Somalia halted an attack Thursday by al-Shabab militants targeting a political conference in the central town of Adado.
Authorities said one attacker blew himself up at the gate of the meeting site and then three gunmen tried to storm inside. The security forces, including those from the African Union's peacekeeping force AMISOM, killed the gunmen before they made it into the building.
The attack is the latest by al-Shabab militants focusing on government targets as they try to topple the government and create an Islamic state.
Somali soldiers and AMISOM troops have had success in pushing al-Shabab from Somalia's major cities, but the group still controls other areas and continues to launch attacks.
