MOGADISHU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A German citizen of Somali origin was behind Sunday's bomb attack on Jazeera Hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu that killed 15 people, a senior Somali intelligence officer said Wednesday.
"Full investigations are still continuing and it is too early to give full update, but what I can confirm to you is that the male bomber was a German citizen of Somali origin who just came back (to Somalia) recently," the unnamed officer told Xinhua, noting that the suicide bomber had lived in the German city of Bonn before his return to Somalia.
Sunday's blast has been described as one of the worst scenes of destruction seen in Mogadishu. Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for it.
Omar Sharif, a Somali hotel owner, said he thought the increased terror attacks in the country were often carried out by radicalized young Somalis living abroad, including those in Europe and North America.
In June, a British Muslim convert, Thomas Evans, was among Al-Shabaab militants killed in their raid on a Kenyan army camp.
Al-Shabaab said the new wave of attacks was responding to recent operations by African Union forces and the Somali troops.
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UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until March 30, 2016 to support the political process in the country.
The 15-nation UN body also reauthorized the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until May 30, 2016, according to the resolution.Full story
China strongly condemns attack in Somalia
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday strongly condemned a terrorist attack in Somalia in which a security guard at China's embassy was killed and three embassy staff wounded.
China was greatly shocked by the attack and strongly condemned it, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang, referring to a suicide attack to Jazeera Palace Hotel at around 4 p.m. local time on Sunday in Mogadishu, which killed more than a dozen people and injured others.Full story
