A suicide bomb targeting a senior police official killed nine people in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Saturday — the second deadly terrorist attack in the besieged city this month.
Police commissioner Farhan Mohamud survived the attack by Al-Shabaab militants, who claimed responsibility, according to reports.
A Somali police spokesman said the bomber drove up to the government convoy in a vehicle loaded with explosives at a busy intersection in Mogadishu.
Witnesses reported seeing several dead bodies on the street and the area choked with heavy smoke.
Al-Shabaab is linked to Al Qaeda and has been fighting to overthrow the Somali government since 2007.
Last week, another suicide attack, targeting a tea shop, left 10 dead. Last month, an attack on a military base in Mogadishu left 15 dead.