5 killed in twin Al-Shabaab attacks in Somalia say police

At least five people were killed and 16 others injured when the al-Shabab extremist group attacked a police checkpoint in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia on Wednesday, according to the local authority.

According to Somalia police spokesperson, the Al-Shabaab attacked a police station in the Kahda neighborhood of Mogadishu, detonating a car bomb before engaging in a fierce firefight with security forces

"Explosions and attacks carried out by the militants have killed at least five people, most notably two young girls and three soldiers, and 16 others were also wounded," said Abdifatah Adan Hassan, spokesperson for Somali police.

Somalia’s government said the early morning attack targeted police and checkpoints outside of Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying its members had carried out multiple coordinated strikes involving suicide bombings. 

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets Mogadishu, and the United Nations and other international observers have warned that the group would take advantage of Somalia’s current election crisis to launch more attacks.

National elections have been delayed for more than a year.