MOGADISHU, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Somali police confirmed Tuesday that four people including three police officers were killed and eight others injured in a roadside blast in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Monday night.
Police Spokesperson Abdifatah Aden Hassan said the blast which occurred between Mogadishu and Afgoye district targeted a security vehicle carrying Mogadishu police commander Farhan Qarole who luckily escaped unhurt.
"A passer-by civilian, together with three of Qarole's bodyguards, were killed and eight others wounded," Aden said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
He added the blast occurred as the police commander was returning from quelling a dispute between security officers in the Lower Shabelle region.
The Al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a convoy of vehicles escorting the police commander. ■