Suicide bomber kills eight in Somalia

Eyewitnesses say the attack targeted a group of politicians at an outdoor cafe in Dusa Mareb in Galgadud region, which is controlled by Ahlu Sunna, a militia allied to the interim UN-backed government.

Two Somali parliamentarians namely Yusuf Mohamed Serar and Abdiweli Aw-Mohamud were confirmed dead while a third MP, Hussein Warsame, was injured.

Former deputy prime minister Ahmed Abdisalam was also seriously injured in the blast. Reliable sources said that two Ahlu Sunna militiamen were wounded in the suicide blast.

Al-Shebab - who are they?

The Islamist militant group al Shebab has said it was behind the attack. The government condemned the killings and claimed it was planned by rebels.

The attack came as Galgadud region recently hosted high ranking officials including politicians, lawmakers and business people who wanted to form a new broad-based administration for the central region under Somalia’s federal system.

Al Shebab, which came under pressure on a number of military fronts in the south of Somalia, is still mounting frequent attacks and controls much of the country.

Dusamareb, 560 kilometers north of Mogadishu, has been under the control of the Ahlu Sunna militia for years, although al Shebab fighters have seized the town briefly on several occasions, including in March this year.

The suicide bomber is reported to be among the dead.