Mogadishu –
The Al-Shabab terror group claimed responsibility for a mortar attack on Somalia’s parliament on Monday, injuring at least six people during a joint session.
Newly elected members of Somalia’s parliament were meeting on Monday to approve procedures for choosing speakers when the compound was hit by a mortar attack.
In a Facebook post, lawmaker and presidential candidate Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame said multiple shots were fired and several people were injured, including two of his bodyguards.
The Somali militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack in media reports.
The office of Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble condemned the attack, calling it an act of terrorism.
Posting on social media, he said the attack was a cowardly attempt to intimidate parliament, which is in the process of ending Somalia’s indirect elections.
Roble commended lawmakers’ efforts to speed up the election.
Before Monday’s attack, lawmakers unanimously agreed to elect the Speaker of the House of Lords on April 26 and the Speaker of the House of Commons a day later.
Somalia’s indirect elections have been delayed for months amid political rows between the Prime Minister and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmaajo.
Farmaajo had attempted to extend his tenure but backed down under intense national and international pressure.
Al-Shabab has exploited the political instability to launch a series of deadly attacks on Somali security forces and politicians.
Somalia’s lawmakers are expected to vote for the next president from May.