Somali Islamists deny responsibility for attack

  1. Posted on Friday 4 December 2009 - 12:40
    Muhyadin
    Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    Somali Islamist group Al-shabaab has denied on Friday that it carried out a suicide bomb which killed at least 22 people, including three ministers and two journalists in Mogadishu, capital city of war-torn nation.
    militants
    The explosion on Thursday hit a local hotel in Mogadishu during a graduation ceremony of 43 students from the Banadir University.

    The Spokesman of the Islamist group in Somalia, Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said on Friday that Al-shabaab did not target civilians and he accused government of being behind the attack.

    He said that they had only heard of the attack through media. "On behalf of the Shabaab, we are not in anyway involved in that incident," spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said.

    Rage said that they believe it is a plan by the government itself. "Some so-called government officials had left the hotel before the bomb blew off, so it was clear that they were behind the killings".

    The international communities have condemned the suicide bomb attack.

    Al-shabaab has claimed responsibility for past suicide bomb which killed defence minister Omar Hashi this year.

    Somalia has not had an affective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

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