A roadside explosion on Wednesday killed a South West State regional minister, an MP and three others when it hit a vehicle they were travelling between Afgoye and Wanlaweyn town in Lower Shabelle some 90km from Mogadishu.
Regional Minister Abdulkadir Abdirahman Baraf, Hirshabelle MP Ahmed Abdi Farah, two bodyguards and a driver were returning from Balidogle Airport where regional president Sharif Hassan Adan had been touring.
Abdirahman was South West State Minister of Security.
The Alqaeda linked militant group AlShabaab issued a statement to claim responsibility for the attack.
Alshabaab in the statement claimed Minister Abdirahman and MP Farah were behind a January attack in Jameo Jilyaale where US Special forces and Somalia National Army targeted a school alleged to be indoctrinating children.
At least five people including children were killed in the attack and 30 others released from the school.
The Al-Shabaab statement further said that the Minister and MP had met US military officers at Balidogle Airport before the January attack.
The group has in the last one week intensified attacks on government and Amisom troops in Hirshabelle and South West State.
