A Somali general and at least seven of his bodyguards have been killed when their military convoy was hit by a suspected car bomb, a police officer says.
"Military General Mohamed Roble Jimale and at least seven of his bodyguards died," police colonel Abdikadir Farah told Reuters. The general was also known by the name Goobaanle. Many Somalis have a nickname often as commonly used as their proper name.
Farah said the suspected car bomb hit the vehicle in which the general was travelling.
Later Somali Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the bombing.
