Suicide bomber kills six at Somali cafe

MOGADISHU: Six civilians died and seven more were injured on Saturday when an Al-Shabaab suicide bomber blew himself up outside a cafe in Somalia, police and witnesses said.

The attack happened in the central town of Baidoa, 250-km northwest of the capital Mogadishu and police said the target was the regional governor, who was inside the cafe taking tea.

"A terrorist suicide bomber blew up himself at Suweys cafeteria and killed six people, he was targeting the governor Ali Wardheere but he survived the attack,"local police officer Mohamud Adan told AFP by phone.

"Two of his security guards were among the wounded, one of them seriously, and five other civilians.

"The suspicious bomber was stopped at the door by the guards but unfortunately, he suddenly blew himself (up) and caused fatalities. The governor survived with a few scars," the officer added.

Witness Ataf Moalim said: "It was a horrible incident which shocked us, I was sitting in a shop not far away... and I rushed to see what happened. "I saw bodies of people shattered amid the blast."

The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement on a pro-Shabaab website, explaining the governor had been the target.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting to overthrow Somalia’s federal government since 2007 and launches regular attacks against government and civilian targets.