Deputy Defense Minister Abdullah Alad Robli survived an assassination attempt by the al-Shabaab terrorist group in Mogadishu.
The group claimed responsibility for the bombing, local media said.
Witnesses said that the attack was carried out outside the Ministry of Defense headquarters targeting the official’s convoy.
Robli did not comment on the assassination attempt and the Shabaab’s claims.
The attack took place despite the strengthening of security measures and changes among top security officials by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
Mohamad had made major security adjustments to step up the fight against the Shabaab.
The Somali army, backed by African Union forces is fighting Shabaab and al-Qaeda terrorists.
Separately, the Somali army announced that it killed four Shabaab members in a security operation carried out after a terrorist attack on an army checkpoint in the province of Bay.
The official news agency quoted National Army Chief of Staff Colonel Ismail Shara as saying that armed forces killed four terrorists and seized weapons in their possession.
On the other hand, the official Somali news agency quoted the US Ambassador to Djibouti Donald Yamamoto as saying that military force alone is not the only solution to address the country’s security issues.
Having considered that Washington is willing to find a solution to existing conflicts among Somali tribes and work to achieve peace and strengthen relations between the federal government and regional states, he stressed that his government is determined to overcome all the obstacles facing Somalia.
