Al-Shabab claims suicide attack outside Turkish base in Somalia

At least two civilians and attacker killed in the first attack targeting the military base in Mogadishu, officials say.

A suicide bomber's explosives were detonated outside a Turkish military training base in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing at least two people, police said on Tuesday.

It was the first time the Turkish base in Mogadishu, Turkey's largest overseas military base, had been attacked by the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group al-Shabab.

The Somalia-based group quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Radio al-Furqan, one of the group's radio affiliates.

Somali government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar told Anadolu news agency that security guards shot the bomber who was trying to enter the military facility.

"He pretended to be a trainee at the Turkey-Somali military academy but was shot and exploded outside the camp, killing himself and two civilians," Mukhtar said.

He added no Somali soldiers or Turkish nationals were killed or injured in the attack.

Police Captain Mohamed Hussein said the attempted bombing occurred as new military cadets were doing their morning drills.

Turkey has a significant presence in Somalia and operates one of a number of foreign military training operations in the Horn of Africa nation long destabilised by conflict.

Al-Shabab controls parts of southern and central Somalia and often targets the capital with suicide bombings.

Source: Al Jazeera and News Agencies