Somalia – An explosion at the house of militia leader and politician Iftin Hassan Basto in Kismayo left at least five people dead Saturday (July 19th).<\/p>\n
“The explosion occurred soon after I entered the house,” Basto said according to AFP. “My security guards saw a man who tried to infiltrate and when they confronted him he blew himself up.”<\/p>\n
“One of my children, my mother-in-law and three of my guards died,” Basto said according to Africa Review.<\/p>\n
“We knew al-Shabaab militants were planning such attacks and we will continue fighting these terrorists,” he said.<\/p>\n
But al-Shabaab was quick to deny involvement in the explosion, instead claiming that one of Basto’s guards was responsible.<\/p>\n
“There was no attack on his home, but his amateur guards fired a rocket launcher inside the house,” al-Shabaab spokesman Abdulaziz Abu Musab told AFP.<\/p>\n
Seven people were injured in the incident, including Basto’s wife. The injured were taken to Madina Hospital in Mogadishu for treatment, Somalia’s Dalsan Radio reported.<\/p>\n
In mid-2013, Basto and another militia leader, Barre Hirale, challenged Interim Jubba Administration President Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe’s authority. Major fighting occurred between the two groups in Kismayo, but Basto has since joined sides with Madobe.<\/p>\n