Suicide bombing hits European Union convoy in Somalia

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A suicide car bomb ripped through an EU convoy near the Somali Defence Ministry here on Monday injuring three civilians, the police said.

Somali police commander Sheikh Isak Hassan said the civilians were injured while walking next to armoured vehicles belonging to the EU Training Mission in Somalia, Efe news reported.

The Italian soldiers inside the vehicles were unharmed, although one vehicle was damaged, he said.

The Somali militant group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the car rammed into the convoy carrying Italian military advisers and trainers.

Witnesses said they saw a huge plume of smoke rising above the place.

"It was so huge. We learnt that foreign troops were targeted. Somali forces arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area," said one eyewitness.

The EU mission, which provides military support to the Western-backed government, didn't comment on the latest incident, which according to reports, left at least two people dead.

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