MOGADISHU (SD) – Somali government spokesman Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu has condemned this morning’s bomb blast near the Banadir intersection that targeted a vehicle carrying General Mohamed Hashi Guled.

The government spokesman, in a released statement, blamed the attack on Al Shabaab.

“Al-Shabaab militants this morning targeted General Mohamed Hashi, a senior SNA officer between the Banadir Intersection and the former Digfer Hospital, injuring him.” Moalimuu said.

The blast, which was set off by a roadside bomb, killed at least seven people, including the commander’s bodyguards and civilians.

A number of others, including General Mohamed Hashi Guled, were injured in the blast, which also damaged businesses near Kalkaal Hospital.

The blast is part of a series of attacks in recent days in the capital, Mogadishu, during an election conclusion phase.