Car bomb blast kills Somali member of parliament, wounds 5 others

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A police commander says a remotely detonated car bomb blast in Somalia’s capital has killed a member of parliament.

Gen. Garad Nur Abdulle, a police commander, said the body of Mohamud Ibrahim Garweyne was burned beyond recognition. Garweyene was previously the trade and industries minister in the Somali government.

Nor Abdi, a Somali police officer, originally said the explosives-ridden car prematurely exploded in front of a hotel, killing the driver of the car bomb. That account turned out to be wrong.

Abdi said five civilians were wounded in the blast.

Such attacks are typically carried out by al-Shabab, Somalia’s most dangerous militant group.

Security in Mogadishu has improved dramatically over the last year, after African Union and Somali troops kicked al-Shabab out of the city last August.