MOGADISHU - An al Shabaab fighter rammed a minibus loaded with explosives into a government building in central Somalia used by troops and politicians on Tuesday, a military official and an al Shabaab spokesman said.
The attack occurred in Baladweyne, a town near the Ethiopian border which was captured by Ethiopian troops about three weeks ago. Both Ethiopia and Kenya have sent troops into Somalia to fight al-Qaida-linked al Shabaab following a wave of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that Nairobi blamed on the rebels.
The militia, which left most of its bases in the capital Mogadishu last August, has launched guerrilla-style attacks despite losing ground in some key southern strongholds since the incursion by Ethiopian and Kenyan troops.
