Police: Blasts at home of Somalia’s new president

A day after the election of Somalia’s new president, two explosions at the gate of his temporary residence killed at least five people and wounded three others yesterday, witnesses and officials said.

The blasts took place as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was holding a press conference in the building, the Jazeera Hotel, with visiting Kenyan Foreign Minister Sam Ongeri.

Al-Shabab, a radical Islamist militia that is affiliated with al-Qaida and which is waging an insurgency against the Somali government, quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Shabab had opposed Mohamud's election, saying it had been manipulated by western powers.

At least five people were killed in the blast, according to witness Mohammed Nuradin. An African Union soldier was among those killed in the blast and 3 others were wounded in the incident, said African Union force spokesman Col. Ali Aden.

African Union forces are helping the Somalia government fight al-Shabab, which the U.S. has designated as terrorist group, and which neighboring African countries consider a threat.

Police corporal Yusuf Ali said that he was guarding the Somalia immigration department near the Jazeera hotel when two blasts occurred.

An Associated Press photographer inside Jazeera Hotel for the president's press conference with the Kenyan minister said the two were safe.