A Monday mortar attack on the Somalian parliament which injured at least six people during a joint session has been claimed by the al-Shabab terrorists group.
The newly inaugurated lawmakers in one of Africa’s most troubled countries were meeting to approve procedures for the election of speakers, when the grounds of the parliament were hit by a mortar attack.
One of the presidential candidate and legislator, Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, who later posted about the attack on Facebook, said several rounds were fired and six people wounded, including two of his bodyguards.
Later in the day, the militant group in various social media posts, claimed responsibility for the attack and promised to do more if their various demands are not met.
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble condemned the assault, which he called a terrorist act.
In posts on social media, Roble said the attack was a cowardly attempt to intimidate parliament, which is in the process of finishing Somalia’s indirect election.
Before the Monday attack, the lawmakers unanimously agreed to elect the speaker of the Upper House on April 26 and the Speaker of the Lower House a day later after indirect elections were delayed for months because of political wrangling between the Roble and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
Mohamed had sought to extend his term in office, but backed off under intense domestic and international pressure, a situation the al-Shabaab terrorists has taken advantage of by launching a series of deadly attacks on Somali security forces and politicians.