Suicide Bomber Detonates Near Somalia’s Presidential Palace

A suicide bomber was killed, and seven civilians wounded, when a vehicle exploded near a checkpoint outside the presidential palace in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

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Police spokesman Sadiq Ali Adan said the driver defied orders to stop and police opened fire as passersby ran for their lives.

He said more than a dozen vehicles were destroyed in the blast.

This latest bombing occurred as Somali politicians argue over how to hold a national election.

The vote had been scheduled for Feb. 8, and some argue that President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who seeks a second four-year term, has overstayed his mandate.

More talks on the election crisis are set for Monday.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group based in Somalia often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu. It has threatened to attack the polls.

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