Somalia: presidential convoy targeted by al-Shabab bomb attack, president unharmed

Soon after president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's convoy left the grounds of the presidential palace, the motorcade was rocked by a bomb blast.

According to various eyewitness accounts, the explosion could have left as many as three people dead, although no official information on casualties has been released.

Government sources however confirmed that the president was unharmed and headed to Middle Shabelle in southern Somalia to oversee military operations against al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab, which opposes the federal authorities, frequently carries out bombings and assaults targeting government and military officials.

This is however only the second time since 2014 that the president has been directly targeted.

In recent weeks, Somalia's government has stepped up efforts to combat al-Shabab, which controls parts of rural Somalia and threatens the government's hold over the nation in the Horn of Africa.