Somali governor killed in Al Shabab attack

Former police commander and civilian also hurt in blast

Civilians flee as Somali security forces battle Al Shabab fighters who stormed a government building after exploding a car bomb in central Mogadishu, one of a series of attacks the extremist group hasShow more

A governor in Somalia's Puntland has been killed in a suicide bombing claimed by Al Shabab.

Abdisalan Hassan Hersi, governor of Nugaal region, died from his injuries after being taken to hospital in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, where the blast occurred on Sunday.

"He was in a critical condition when he was admitted to hospital," Mohamed Weli, a police officer in Puntland, told AFP.

A source at the hospital said Mr Hersi died less than an hour after being admitted to the intensive care ward.

"He was badly wounded in the blast and he had little chance of surviving such serious injuries," the source said.

A former police commander and a civilian were also wounded in the blast.

All three were treated in hospital, Puntland's Interior Minister, Mohamed Abdirahman, said.

Witnesses said the attacker ran towards Mr Hersi's vehicle before detonating an explosive vest.

"Police sealed off the area afterwards," a witness, Adan Suleyman, said.

Another witness, Abdikarim Ahmed, said the bomber ran up to the vehicle as the governor was parking near a police station.

"A man wearing a suicide vest walked close to the car carrying the officials and then detonated himself, destroying the vehicle completely, just near the police station," a witness told Garowe Online.

Al Shabab, a group affiliated to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The extremist group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and lost most of its strongholds, but still controls vast rural areas.

The group wants to overthrow the Somali government and has carried out many attacks in the capital.

Last week, a suicide bomber killed three civilians in a restaurant near the parliament buildings in the city.