Four people have been killed and nine wounded in Somalia's capital Mogadishu when a suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into a UN convoy, police and rebels say.
The convoy of armoured vehicles was ferrying staff between Mogadishu's heavily-fortified airport and a protected UN base in the city on Wednesday when it was hit close to the airport gate.
Somalia's al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab rebels, who are fighting to overthrow the country's internationally-backed government, said in a statement that their fighters had "targeted a convoy of foreign mercenaries and their apostate allies."
UN convoys are systematically flanked by utility vehicles carrying private security officers who provide protection for international staff.
"The bomber drove in between the security escort and the UN armoured vehicles and detonated the car, ramming into one of the escort vehicles," police officer Mohamed Liban told AFP.
Liban said he had counted four bodies, all Somali nationals either providing security for the UN or those passing by who had been caught by the blast. Police said nine others were wounded.
The UN mission in Somalia confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that there were "thankfully no injuries to UN staff" but regretting the "casualties amongst bystanders and security personnel."
A dark plume of smoke rose high in the sky as fierce flames engulfed the wreckage of vehicles hit by the explosion, which was heard across the seaside capital.
