An attack involving gunmen and bomb blasts on a complex housing government ministries in Somalia's capital killed at least five people on Saturday, including the deputy labour minister, officials said.

Claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, the assault was a &nbsp;sign of the insurgency's continued ability to strike at the heart of Somalia's government, despite years of foreign military support for Mogadishu.

The attack began with two blasts at the gates of the complex housing the labour and works ministries.

Police say at least four gunmen then stormed the buildings, leading to a shootout.

"I saw the dead bodies of four people, one of them in police uniform," said Abdulahi Mohamed, who witnessed the attack.

Senator Ilyas Ali Hassan confirmed that Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla, the deputy minister for labour and social affairs, was also killed.

"I cannot elaborate on how he died but I can confirm that he was killed inside the ministry building," Hassan said.

Police official Ibrahim Mohamed said all the gunmen were killed.

"There were some other casualties including members of the police," he said, without elaborating.

The attack wounded at least 11 people, according to Abdukadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the Aamin ambulance service in &nbsp;Mogadishu.

Siege attacks

Attacks that combine bombings with gunmen have become a speciality of the Al-Qaeda linked group, which is running an armed insurrection against what it sees as heretic and foreign influence in Somalia.

The group emerged from Islamic Courts that once controlled central and southern Somalia and are variously estimated to number between 5,000 and 9,000 men.

In 2010 the Shabaab declared their allegiance to Al-Qaeda. The following year, the group were chased out of Mogadishu by the 22,000-strong African Union peace-enforcement mission, AMISOM.

They have since lost many of their strongholds but retain control of large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerrilla war, frequently hitting Mogadishu.

In October 2017 a truck bombing in a busy neighbourhood of the capital killed over 500 people, the deadliest attack in Somalia to date.

Targeting Kenya

Among Al-Shabaab's adversaries is the US military, which has killed over 800 people in airstrikes targeting the insurgents over the last two years.

This week Amnesty International released a report challenging the US's claim that the airstrikes only killed "terrorists."

Amnesty researchers say at least 14 civilians were killed in US bombings. The US military denied the report.

The Shabaab have also carried out a string of attacks in Kenya since 2011.&nbsp;

The deadliest of these took place on April 2, 2015, when 148 people were killed at Garissa University in northeastern Kenya.

In 2013, a Shabaab raid on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall left 67 dead in a siege that unfolded over four days. And in January this year, 14 people were killed in a Shabaab-claimed attack on a luxury hotel complex in Nairobi.

An attack involving gunmen and bomb blasts on a complex housing government ministries in Somalia's capital killed at least five people on Saturday, including the deputy labour minister, officials said.

An attack involving gunmen and bomb blasts on a complex housing government ministries in Somalia's capital killed at least five people on Saturday, including the deputy labour minister, officials said. Claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, the assault was a sign of the insurgency's continued ability to strike at the heart of Somalia's government, despite years of foreign military support for Mogadishu. The attack began with two blasts at the gates of the complex housing the labour and works ministries. Police say at least four gunmen then stormed the buildings, leading to a shootout. "I saw the dead bodies of four people, one of them in police uniform," said Abdulahi Mohamed, who witnessed the attack. Senator Ilyas Ali Hassan confirmed that Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla, the deputy minister for labour and social affairs, was also killed. "I cannot elaborate on how he died but I can confirm that he was killed inside the ministry building," Hassan said. Police official Ibrahim Mohamed said all the gunmen were killed. "There were some other casualties including members of the police," he said, without elaborating. The attack wounded at least 11 people, according to Abdukadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the Aamin ambulance service in Mogadishu. Siege attacks Attacks that combine bombings with gunmen have become a speciality of the Al-Qaeda linked group, which is running an armed insurrection against what it sees as heretic and foreign influence in Somalia. The group emerged from Islamic Courts that once controlled central and southern Somalia and are variously estimated to number between 5,000 and 9,000 men. In 2010 the Shabaab declared their allegiance to Al-Qaeda. The following year, the group were chased out of Mogadishu by the 22,000-strong African Union peace-enforcement mission, AMISOM. They have since lost many of their strongholds but retain control of large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerrilla war, frequently hitting Mogadishu. In October 2017 a truck bombing in a busy neighbourhood of the capital killed over 500 people, the deadliest attack in Somalia to date. Targeting Kenya Among Al-Shabaab's adversaries is the US military, which has killed over 800 people in airstrikes targeting the insurgents over the last two years. This week Amnesty International released a report challenging the US's claim that the airstrikes only killed "terrorists." Amnesty researchers say at least 14 civilians were killed in US bombings. The US military denied the report. The Shabaab have also carried out a string of attacks in Kenya since 2011. The deadliest of these took place on April 2, 2015, when 148 people were killed at Garissa University in northeastern Kenya. In 2013, a Shabaab raid on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall left 67 dead in a siege that unfolded over four days. And in January this year, 14 people were killed in a Shabaab-claimed attack on a luxury hotel complex in Nairobi.

Five dead in Somalia Shabaab raid, including deputy minister

At least 10 people were killed when a car bomb exploded outside the Presidential Palace in Somalia&#39;s capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, partially damaging two nearby hotels. The attack was claimed by militants of the Islamic al Shabaab group.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The blast killed 10 (people) including soldiers and civilians and 30 others were wounded,&quot; Major Mohamed Ali, a police officer, told Reuters. 
 
Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir told state radio that a meeting of security officials was under way inside one of the hotels, the SYL, at the time of blast and that one minister and some state radio journalists were injured in the attack. The hotel is frequented by government officials and police said it believed the facility was the likely target. 
 
Gunfire could be heard after the blast and a huge cloud of smoke rose above the palace, outside which were the remnants of the car and splattered blood, according to a Reuters witness. 
 
Al Shabaab&#39;s Radio Andaluz said the Islamist group was behind the attack and their military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the attack had killed 15 soldiers and &quot;injured many others including a lawmaker&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
In a separate incident late on Monday, al Shabaab fighters attacked military bases housing government and African Union troops south west of Mogadishu, police and the group said today. 
 
Military officer Major Bile Farah said a soldier and two al Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack in K-50 and Muri in Lower Shabelle region. 
 
Abu Musab claimed to Reuters that the group&#39;s fighters had killed 10 soldiers and commandeered a vehicle from the Somali government soldiers in the Monday attack. 
 
Seeking to impose its own harsh form of Islam, al Shabaab, wants to topple the Western backed government in Mogadishu and also push out the 22,000-strong African Union-mandated AMISOM peace keeping force backing it. 
 
The group was pushed out of Mogadishu by AMISOM in 2011 but have remained a serious threat, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the government. 
 
The militants have claimed responsibility for several explosions in Mogadishu, including a car bomb and gun attack last week at a popular beach restaurant in the capital that killed 10 people. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The attack was claimed by militants of the Islamic al Shabaab group and was likely targeted at a hotel frequented by government officials

At least 10 people were killed when a car bomb exploded outside the Presidential Palace in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, partially damaging two nearby hotels. The attack was claimed by militants of the Islamic al Shabaab group. "The blast killed 10 (people) including soldiers and civilians and 30 others were wounded," Major Mohamed Ali, a police officer, told Reuters. Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir told state radio that a meeting of security officials was under way inside one of the hotels, the SYL, at the time of blast and that one minister and some state radio journalists were injured in the attack. The hotel is frequented by government officials and police said it believed the facility was the likely target. Gunfire could be heard after the blast and a huge cloud of smoke rose above the palace, outside which were the remnants of the car and splattered blood, according to a Reuters witness. Al Shabaab's Radio Andaluz said the Islamist group was behind the attack and their military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, said the attack had killed 15 soldiers and "injured many others including a lawmaker". In a separate incident late on Monday, al Shabaab fighters attacked military bases housing government and African Union troops south west of Mogadishu, police and the group said today. Military officer Major Bile Farah said a soldier and two al Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack in K-50 and Muri in Lower Shabelle region. Abu Musab claimed to Reuters that the group's fighters had killed 10 soldiers and commandeered a vehicle from the Somali government soldiers in the Monday attack. Seeking to impose its own harsh form of Islam, al Shabaab, wants to topple the Western backed government in Mogadishu and also push out the 22,000-strong African Union-mandated AMISOM peace keeping force backing it. The group was pushed out of Mogadishu by AMISOM in 2011 but have remained a serious threat, launching frequent attacks aimed at overthrowing the government. The militants have claimed responsibility for several explosions in Mogadishu, including a car bomb and gun attack last week at a popular beach restaurant in the capital that killed 10 people. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

At least 15 killed in car bomb explosion in Somalia

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Five dead in Somalia Shabaab raid, including deputy minister

At least 15 killed in car bomb explosion in Somalia