Somali militants claim interior minister's killing

Al—Shabab militants battling Somalia’s fragile government use suicide bombers to demoralize the government and their African backers.

Somalia’s al—Qaeda—linked militant group is claiming responsibility for an explosion that killed the country’s interior minister.

Al—Shabab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said on Saturday that militants carried out Friday’s attack against Minister Abdishakur Sheik Hassan because he was “an obstacle” to the group’s endeavor to topple the government.

Al—Shabab vowed to carry out “brazen attacks deep inside enemy territory.”

Hassan was killed in his home, and a female relative was suspected of being the bomber. Rage thanked insiders who he said helped the attack.

Al—Shabab uses suicide bombers to demoralize the government and their African backers.

Somalia has not had an effective government for two decades.

African Union force in Somalia on alert after minister is killed

A spokesman for African Union peacekeepers backing Somalia’s fragile government says his forces are on high alert a day after a suspected female suicide bomber killed the country’s interior minister.

Maj. Paddy Ankunda said on Saturday the AU force is on alert after al—Qaeda—linked militants of al—Shabab vowed to carry out “brazen attacks deep inside enemy territory.”

Interior Minister Abdishakur Sheik Hassan was killed on Friday in an explosion in his home, and a female relative was suspected to be the bomber.

Al—Shabab militants battling Somalia’s fragile government use suicide bombers to demoralize the government and their African backers.

Somalia has not had an effective government for two decades.