MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Police say a suicide bomber died and seven civilians were wounded when a vehicle exploded near a checkpoint outside the presidential palace in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.
A police spokesman says the driver defied orders to stop on Saturday morning, and police opened fire as passersby ran for their lives. He says more than a dozen vehicles were destroyed in the blast.
The bombing occurred as Somali politicians argue over how to hold a delayed national election once set for Feb. 8. Some argue that the president has overstayed his mandate.
The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has threatened to attack the polls.
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