1st LD: Suicide bomb hits southern Somalia

A Somali suicide bomber blew himself up at the southern border town with Kenya in an incident that left unknown number of casualties, authorities said on Friday.

Abdirahman Zeylici, a senior member with the moderate Islamist group Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaah that controls Gedo region alongside Somali government, told journalists the bomber was targeting an officer but detonated before coming close to him.

"His (bomber) attempts to kill our officer by blowing himself up near him failed when the explosion went off before he could come close to him. He died instantly," said Zeylici.

Zeylici said the suicide bomber used to be a school teacher in the area before he joined the militant group Al-Shabaab.

"We fled the scene when the explosion went off, but when we came back we found the bomber dead," said local resident Nor Moalim.

No group by far claims responsibility for the explosion. Endi