Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for Mogadishu Blasts
By VOA News
17 September 2009
The Islamist militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for two explosions that rocked an African Union peacekeepers' base in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
Two car bombs exploded Thursday at the A.U. base near the Mogadishu airport. Early reports say there are casualties but it is not clear how many.
Witnesses say the blasts were caused by two white vehicles with United Nations markings that guards had allowed into the base.
Al-Shabab spokesmen say the attacks were revenge for the death of a Kenyan-born terrorist suspect, Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, killed in a U.S. commando raid in southern Somalia on Monday.
There are several thousand A.U. peacekeepers in Somalia, helping to defend the government against insurgents that want to seize power and set up an Islamic state.
The insurgents, led by al-Shabab, have captured much of southern Somalia and parts of Mogadishu, where they frequently launch mortar attacks.
The United States considers al-Shabab a terrorist organization and has accused it of having links to al-Qaida.
U.S. officials have expressed concern that if al-Shabab takes control of Somalia, it could turn the country into a haven for terrorists.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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