This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36892048
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Blasts heard near Mogadishu airport | Blasts heard near Mogadishu airport |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Big explosions have been heard near the airport in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, local media have reported. | |
| Thick smoke could be seen rising from the area, where there is also a base for African Union peacekeepers. | |
| Local journalists said the blasts had been caused by two bombs. At least one was detonated by a suicide attacker in a vehicle near a checkpoint, they said. | |
| There was no immediate word on any casualties. | |
| The militant Islamist group, al-Shabab, which is allied to al-Qaeda, has carried out frequent attacks in Somalia, including in Mogadishu, in an attempt to oust the UN-backed government. | |
| The group has been pushed out of most of the main towns it once controlled, but analysts say it remains a potent threat. | |
| The Somali government, with the help of African Union forces, is fighting al-Shabab militants in several parts of the country. |