Al-Shabab target Somalia's police chief

A suicide car bomb targeting a government convoy exploded at a busy junction in Somalia's capital on Saturday, killing at least eight people, a health official said yesterday.

The bomb blast tore through a busy intersection in the capital, leaving blast holes on nearby walls and cars stripped to their charred, carcass-like frames. 

The police chief, Farhan Mohamud Qaroleh, who carries the rank of general since April, was the intended target, multiple agencies report citing police sources.

The terror group al-Shabab claimed responsibility. Additionally, early reports in local media suggest mortars may have struck the presidential palace .

Somali police spokesman Sadiiq Dudishe said, "The objective of the terrorists was to get rid of the targeted police commander, other officers with him and any other civilian bystanders."

In their claim of responsibility, al-Shabab said the blast had killed and injured a "large number" of bodyguards and destroyed several vehicles.

Attacks by al-Shabab against military and civilian targets are a regular occurrence in anarchic Somalia. Just last week, the terror group targeted a tea house meters from the Somali intelligence agency's headquarters popular among members of the security forces, killing ten and injuring scores.

The terror group has been fighting the government since 2007. Al-Shabab hopes to overthrow the fragile Somali state and institute a harsh version of shariah law on the country.