Al Shabaab kill former Somalia defence minister

A former Somalia defence minister has been killed in the capital Mogadishu.

Muhidin Mohamed died on Monday after an explosive device was attached to his car. Police confirmed the death of the former minister who was also an adviser for Somalia’s parliament.

“A bomb was attached underneath the car seat and exploded while he was driving. There were two men and the blast took place after one of them got in the car. The deceased man served as minister of defence at the time of Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein,’‘ police officer Mohamed Hussein Abdi said.

The second person in the car is said to have survived the blast with minor injuries.

Islamist insurgent group Al Shabaab has already claimed responsibility for the attack. The militant group has carried out frequent attacks in the war torn country often targeting government officials and African Union troops.

Al Shabaab seeks to impose a strict version of sharia law across the country.