Bus hits land mine killing eight in Somalia

MOGADISHU: At least eight people were killed and six others wounded on Sunday when a bus they were travelling in struck a landmine on a road in southern Somalia.

The incident occurred about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu.

"A civilian minibus ran over a land mine between Lower and Middle Shabelle regions. Eight civilians were killed in the blast and six others wounded," Ibrahim Abdulle — a district security official —said.

Local residents said the road — which passes through territory controlled by Somalia's al Qaeda-aligned Shabaab group — was rarely used because of security fears.

"There was a significant risk associated with the use of that road, but the driver insisted to use it," said Moalim Mohamed Ise.

Earlier this month a huge truck bomb killed at least 358 people in Mogadishu in the country's deadliest ever terrorist attack.