Landmine blast kills two children in southern Somalia

At least two people were killed in a landmine explosion in southern Somalia on Saturday evening, a government official said Sunday.

Information Minister for Hirshabelle State Mahad Hassan told Xinhua by phone that the blast at an area near Mahaday district in Middle Shabelle region left two siblings dead.

"The two siblings, a boy and a girl, were killed in the landmine explosion. They were on auto-rickshaw," Hassan said.

After the incident, the Somali National Army (SNA) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) successfully defused two other bombs at the scene.

He added that the SNA and AMISOM have launched a massive security operation in the area to capture those behind the explosion.

Hassan said Al-Shabaab militants were probably responsible for the blast.

There was no immediate comment from Al-Shabaab, which is part of the al-Qaida allied terror network. Endi