Islamist mortar attack kills four in Somali capital - police

At least three people including two children were killed in an explosion in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday.

The explosion which occured near Somalia’s presidential palace injured eight others, police said.

Somali Islamist group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility saying their main target was the presidential palace. The group had targeted the palace but the mortars went off target, ending up about 300 metres from the nearby house of parliament.

An eyewitness, Fatima Nor, said the mortar landed near a house, killing four people and injuring six others.

“Four people were killed when the mortar round landed in front of their house and six others were wounded including children. It’s very shocking,” Fatima Nor said.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has frequently targeted government buildings, hotels and security forces in Mogadishu in its bid to overthrow what they claim is the Western-backed government.

Somalia is struggling to emerge from two decades of chaos.

Al Shabaab has been driven out of major strongholds in Somalia by the African Union Mission and Somali army.

But the group still controls some rural areas and often launches bomb attacks.