Mahamud Dhuhlow, a police officer in the region, told Anadolu Agency over the phone the incident took place near the town of Bal’ad, located 40 kilometers (24 miles) northeast of Somali capital Mogadishu.
Hirshabelle State President Mohammed Abdi Ware confirmed the attack and the deaths of Deputy Governor of Middle Shabelle region Abdullahi Sitawe and former Hirshabelle’s Business Minister Sabriye Osman.
Soldiers from Hirshabelle are also among the dead, according to local media.
Somali-based al-Qaeda affiliated group al-Shabaab
...... an Islamic infestation centering on Somalia attempting to metastasize into Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and similar places, all ofwhich have enough problems without them...grabbed credit for the attack.