Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World
Al Jazeera and news agencies

Blast near Mogadishu hours after al-Shabab vows attack

File: A policeman stands guard during a lockdown in Mogadishu [Feisal Omar/Reuters]

A car laden with explosives has blown up near an army checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four soldiers, according to a Somali  security officer.

Soldiers reportedly chased the driver before he detonated the explosives.

"We received information of the car bomb and we pursued it, but he blew up while we were chasing him," the security officer said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion.

In the past, al-Shabab has taken responsibility for blasts and gun attacks in the capital.

The armed group has said that it would launch deadly attacks against Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed,  Somalia's new president, also known as Farmajo.

Al-Shabab earlier this week denounced Mohamed's election, calling him an apostate.

The new president, who was inaugurated on Wednesday , has promised to make security a priority.

On Sunday, a car bomb in the capital killed at least 39 people .

Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) have also emerged in Somalia.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.