Suicide bomber kills three in central Somalia

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MOGADISHU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A suicide bomber killed three people including two police officers in an attack on the home of former Somali police commander, Abdi Hassan Awale, in central Somali town of Galkayo, witnesses said Tuesday.

Awale who was reportedly at his home at the time of the attack was said to be unharmed but two of his bodyguards and a civilian were killed in the blast, witnesses said.

"We heard huge explosion from the officail's home then we learned that it was a suicide bomber who attacked the house. Two policemen died and a civilian,"Ali Nur, a resident in Galkayo told Xinhua.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack on the former police chief's home but Islamist rebels of Al-Shabaab often target Somali government officials and security forces.

The radical group has not so far commented on the development in Galkayo in the semi-autonomous region of Galmudug in central Somalia. The regional state has close ties with the central Somali government in Mogadishu.

Posted in: Al-Shabaab, Galkacyo, Galmudug, Mogadishu, Somali, Somalia