Al-Shabaab kills senior Somali military official

A car bomb blast on Sunday killed a Somali military general and five of his bodyguards in the capital, Mogadishu, security officials confirmed.

Gen. Mohamed Roble Jimale Gobanle and his convoy had just left the military hospital and were heading toward the defense ministry when the suicide bomber detonated the explosive-filled car next to the general’s car, Captain Ali Nur said.

“The blast was very huge,” witness Abdi Hassan told Al Jazeera. “I saw smoke and fire overshadowing the whole area.”

Gobanle served as the commander of the army’s Third Brigade, a combat team fighting Islamist terror group al-Shabaab in southern Somalia. The general had battled al-Shabaab’s insurgency since 2007 and led troops that fought the group’s presence in the capital until security forces succeeded in pushing it out.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent his condolences to the general’s family, his spokesman said.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and made a public announcement released by its Andalus radio station.

“A Mujahid (fighter) was martyred as his suicide car bomb killed General Goobaanle,” the statement said, referring to the general by his nickname.

Al-Shabaab lost a majority of its territory after security forces pushed it out of the capital, but it continues its terror campaign. The group has targeted government and security officials with car bombs and also staged several attacks on military bases.

Government troops on Saturday recaptured the southern town of El Wak from al-Shabaab, after the group began an attack on Friday. Its fighters killed at least four soldiers when they raided a military base and chased dozens of people out of town.

Somalia is expected to begin parliamentary elections later this month, holding presidential elections by the end of October. Analysts have warned al-Shabaab may increase its attacks in the coming weeks, especially as Mohamud’s Western-backed government seeks reelection. Due to al-Shabaab’s insurgency and other security threats, about 14,000 people representing the states across the nation will participate in the upcoming parliamentary voting. The legislative assembly will then choose the president.