6 killed by car bombs in Somali capital, police say

2 bombs detonated outside a Mogadishu hotel frequented by government officials, foreigners

By AP 1 January 2014, 10:32 pm

Edit

Al-Shabaab fighters march with their weapons during military exercises on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2011. (AP/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Police say two car bombs have exploded outside a hotel in Somalia’s capital that often is used by foreigners and government officials, killing six people and wounding eight.

Senior police Capt. Mohamed Hussein, who gave the casualty figures, said it wasn’t immediately known who was responsible for the blasts outside the Jazeera Hotel near Mogadishu’s international airport on Wednesday night.

However, the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic rebels of al-Shabab frequently stage lethal attacks in Somalia near the seat of government and at sites popular with foreigners.

In a radio message Tuesday, a senior al-Shabab commander warned civilians to stay away from government buildings as well as sites controlled or owned by foreigners. The commander, Ali Mohammed Hussein, said attacks were imminent in Mogadishu.