2 killed in bomb attack in Somalia

At least two civilians were killed and three others injured in a suicide car bomb attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Thursday, police and witnesses said.

A Somali police officer said the car laden with explosives detonated near a convoy of the African Union peacekeeping troops at a busy Banadir junction in Mogadishu.

"Two civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the explosion in Banadir junction in Mogadishu," the police officer who declined to be named said.

No group has claimed responsibility in the latest attack in the restive capital but al-Shabab extremists who have been fighting to topple the Somali government have usually staged such attacks before.

Meanwhile, Somali National Army (SNA) said its forces captured several areas from al-Shabab group following an operation carried out in the southern region on Thursday.

The SNA said its forces inflicted heavy casualties on the militants during the operation conducted in several villages in the West of Kismayo.

The militants have intensified attacks despite the government forces having made intensive operations against the extremists in central and southern regions in recent months in an attempt to flush out al-Shabab cells. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )