Mogadishu, Mar 15 (IANS): At least four soldiers were killed and nine others, including a regional governor, wounded in a suicide attack in southern Somalia, an official said.
Bardhere District Commissioner Mohamed Wali Yusuf told journalists on the phone on Tuesday that al-Shabab militants carried out a suicide car bomb attack at a regional guest house in Bardhere town, in Gedo region.
He said the extremists, who were in a vehicle laden with explosives, struck the guest house located near the police station, destroying most parts of the building, Xinhua news agency reported.
Al-Shabab extremists claimed responsibility for the latest attack. Independent sources, meanwhile, said that the casualties are more than those mentioned.
The attack came as the Somali National Army and regional officials were preparing to launch an offensive against the militants in the region.