Off the wire
• Japan planning talks with S. Korea following outrage over possible UNESCO listing of wartime slave camps  • Reported cases of S. African youth wanting to join insurgent groups draw concern  • Several injured in police action on protesting employees in Indian-controlled Kashmir  • UN coordinator urges Yemen warring parties to provide safe passage for civilians  • EU employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 rises in 2014  • 1st LD Writethru: Chinese president visits Kazakhstan to boost cooperation along ancient trade route  • Eastern Africa countries set up regional observatory on environment  • Kiev dismisses fears over possible collapse of Minsk agreement  • China, Thailand pledge to advance cooperation in railway, tourism  • Zimbabwe to import staple maize as production declines by 49 pct  
You are here: 　 Home

Police officer killed, another injured in landmine explosion in Somalia

Xinhua, May 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

A police officer was killed and another injured in a landmine explosion in a busy street in Mogadishu on Thursday.

Police spokesman Qasim Ahmed Roble told Xinhua the explosion occurred as security officers were checking car in one of the checkpoints heading to Bakaro market in the capital Mogadishu.

"The officers were busy checking cars and occupants in the check point when the landmine exploded killing one officer and injuring another," said Roble.

Eye witness in the Aden Ade cross section near the check point told Xinhua they heard a huge explosion followed by heavy smoke.

"I was near next to a shop here when we suddenly heard a deafening noise from the road across. Each one of us had to scamper for safety and we later learned a police officer had been killed," said the witness.

Police said they also managed to safely detonate two other landmines that had been implanted near the checkpoint.

Police have in the past weeks mounted heavy security checks on public and personal vehicles following a warning that the militant group Al-Shabaab was planning to launch an attack.

The insurgents have in the past launched similar attacks on police check points and other government installations even as the country's security forces in collaboration with the African Union backed forces have significantly pushed them out of major strongholds in the country. Endi