Mogadishu mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman (seen here 3rd L at a ceremony) has died from wounds sustained in a July 24 attack on his office (AFP Photo/Abdirazak Hussein FARAH)

Mogadishu (AFP) - The mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu has died of wounds sustained in a militant bombing attack on his office last month, the government said on Thursday.

Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman died while doctors were treating his wounds at a hospital in Doha, a spokesman for the Somali president's office said.

Six people were killed and Osman was seriously wounded in the July 24 attack on a government building claimed by Al-Shabaab jihadists to have been targeting a UN envoy.

Abdinur Mohamed Ahmed, a spokesman for the president, said the mayor's death would "unite us" in the fight against the jihadists.

"We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the Mogadishu mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, and we share our grief regarding this painful death with the entire Somali public," he said in a statement.

The mayor and several others badly injured in the suicide attack by Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant outfit, were airlifted to Qatar for treatment.

The bombing occurred just hours after UN Special Representative for Somalia James Swan had been visiting the mayor.

Al-Shabaab were chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 but the capital is still hit regularly by the militants who have fought for more than a decade to topple the Western-backed Somali government.

Just days before the assault on the mayor's office a car bomb detonated at a checkpoint near Somalia's international airport, killing 17 people and wounding more than two dozen others. </s> Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman died while doctors were treating his wounds at a hospital in Doha, says a spokesman for the Somali president's office

KILLED. The mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, Abdirahman Omar Osman, has died of wounds sustained in a militant bombing attack on his office last month, the government said on August 1, 2019. File photo by Stuart Price/Au-un Ist Photo/AFP

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu has died of wounds sustained in a militant bombing attack on his office last month, the government said on Thursday, August 1.

Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman died while doctors were treating his wounds at a hospital in Doha, a spokesman for the Somali president's office said.

Six people were killed and Osman was seriously wounded in the July 24 attack on a government building claimed by Al-Shabaab jihadists to have been targeting a UN envoy.

Abdinur Mohamed Ahmed, a spokesman for the president, said the mayor's death would "unite us" in the fight against the jihadists.

"We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the Mogadishu mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, and we share our grief regarding this painful death with the entire Somali public," he said in a statement.

The mayor and several others badly injured in the suicide attack by Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda-linked militant outfit, were airlifted to Qatar for treatment.

The bombing occurred just hours after UN Special Representative for Somalia James Swan had been visiting the mayor.

Al-Shabaab were chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 but the capital is still hit regularly by the militants who have fought for more than a decade to topple the Western-backed Somali government.

Just days before the assault on the mayor's office a car bomb detonated at a checkpoint near Somalia's international airport, killing 17 people and wounding more than two dozen others. – Rappler.com </s> The mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu has died of wounds sustained in a terrorist bombing attack on his office last month, the government said on Thursday.

Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman died while doctors were treating his wounds at a hospital in Doha, where he had been airlifted for treatment after the July 24 attack, a spokesman for the Somali president's office said.

Six people were killed and Osman was seriously wounded in the attack on a government building claimed by al-Shabaab terrorists.

The Somalia-based al-Shabab and officials have said a rare female suicide bomber used in the attack had been aiming for the American who is the new United Nations envoy to Somalia. James Swan had left the office just minutes earlier.

It was not clear how the bomber managed to enter the mayor's office, as visitors are required to pass through at least four metal detectors.

Abdinur Mohamed Ahmed, a spokesman for the president, said the mayor's death would "unite us" in the fight against the terrorists.

"We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the Mogadishu mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, and we share our grief regarding this painful death with the entire Somali public," he said in a statement.

Osman had been a councilor in London before returning to Somalia to enter local politics.

Al-Shabaab were chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 but the capital is still hit regularly by the militants who have fought for more than a decade to topple the Western-backed Somali government.

Just days before the assault on the mayor's office a car bomb detonated at a checkpoint near Somalia's international airport, killing 17 people and wounding more than two dozen others. </s> Somalia says Mogadishu mayor dies after attack in office

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia's government said Thursday the mayor of Mogadishu has died after being badly wounded in an al-Shabab extremist attack in his office last week.

The spokesman for Somalia's president said Abdirahman Omar Osman died Thursday in Qatar, where he had been airlifted for treatment after the July 24 attack. Officials said he had been in a coma.

The Somalia-based al-Shabab and officials have said a rare female suicide bomber used in the attack had been aiming for the American who is the new United Nations envoy to Somalia. James Swan had left the office just minutes earlier.

It was not clear how the bomber managed to enter the mayor's office, as visitors are required to pass through at least four metal detectors.

Osman had been a councillor in London before returning to Somalia to enter local politics. Somalia's president expressed condolences and said Osman's service as mayor had been selfless.

The U.S. mission to Somalia in a tweet called Osman "an excellent partner and tireless advocate for the people of Mogadishu and all Somalis." </s> The mayor of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu has died of wounds sustained in a suicide bomb attack on his office, Somali government officials said on Thursday. He died in Qatar, where he had gone for treatment after the attack.

Abdirahman Omar Osman was a naturalised Briton who returned to Somalia to help rebuild the war-torn country after serving as a councillor for the British Labour Party.

He sustained serious injuries when a suicide bomber from the al-Shabaab militant group struck while a meeting was being held at the municipal government headquarters last week, killing six senior local government officials.

Officials said the mayor had been airlifted to Qatar for treatment along with nine others.

“The Mogadishu mayor has died today in Qatar. May Allah rest his soul. The other injured ones are still being treated there in Qatar,” Saleh Omar Hassan, the spokesman for Mogadishu local government, told Reuters.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed declared three days of mourning for the mayor, ordering that flags be flown at half-mast.

Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group al-Shabaab, which aims to topple Somalia’s UN-backed government, has carried out several attacks against government and civilian targets.

Osman had previously served as Somalia’s information minister, a post he had been appointed to in 2010. He became mayor of Mogadishu last year. – Reuters </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Omar Osman was seriously injured in the attack

A suicide bomber has seriously injured the mayor of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, killing at least six other people, officials told the BBC.

The female bomber blew herself up inside the office of Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman during a security meeting.

Militant Islamist group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack, hoping to target the new UN special envoy to Somalia, James Swan, a US citizen.

But he had met the mayor earlier, leaving before the blast occurred.

It is unclear how the bomber managed to enter the heavily guarded building.

The victims, five men and one woman, were all government officials, the BBC was told.

Al-Shabab seeks to overthrow Somalia's central government and has been carrying out regular attacks in Mogadishu, despite the heavy presence of African Union peacekeepers and US-trained Somali troops.

The group is affiliated with al-Qaeda and remains a powerful presence in rural Somalia. </s> The mayor of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, who was a former Labour councillor, has died after being wounded in a suicide attack that killed at least six other people last week.

The female bomber blew herself up inside the office of Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman during a security meeting.

The mayor passed away from his injuries in Doha, Qatar, where he was receiving treatment.

Its apparent target was the new UN special envoy to Somalia, James Swan, a US citizen.

Mr Swan had already left the building after meeting the mayor on 24 July.

It is unclear how the bomber managed to enter the heavily guarded building.

Who was the mayor?

Osman fled Somalia in the early 1990s and went on to earn a master's degree and UK citizenship, and served as a Labour councillor in London.

He later returned to Somalia in an effort to help re-build his war-torn homeland and served as information minister before becoming mayor of Mogadishu last year.

In a tweet, the US mission to Somalia called Osman "an excellent partner and tireless advocate for the people of Mogadishu and all Somalis".

Al-Shabab seeks to overthrow Somalia's central government and has been carrying out regular attacks in Mogadishu, despite the heavy presence of African Union peacekeepers and US-trained Somali troops.

The group is affiliated with al-Qaeda and remains a powerful presence in rural Somalia. </s> MOGADISHU, Somalia — The mayor of Mogadishu has died after being badly wounded in a suicide bombing by Al Shabab in his offices last week, Somalia’s government said on Thursday. Six of his colleagues were also killed in the attack, and nine members of his staff wounded.

Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman had been airlifted to Qatar, along with nine other injured people, for treatment after the attack, which struck on July 24, the lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said.

Al Shabaab, the Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group that aims to topple Somalia’s United Nations-backed government, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The militants have lost territory but have kept up a relentless campaign of bombings and assassinations.

The extremist group and government officials said that the suicide bomber, a woman, had been aiming for James Swan, the new United Nations envoy to Somalia, but that he had left the office minutes before the bombing. </s> Mogadishu mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman was airlifted with severe wounds to Doha after a female suicide bomber managed to elude security checks and enter the mayor's office on July 24, killing six people and wounding Osman.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed at the time by al-Shabab jihadists suspected to have been planning to kill an American who is the new United Nations envoy to Somalia.

UN envoy James Swan had left Osman's office shortly before the detonation, which happened within meters of Osman and his staff.

Read more: living in Mogadishu despite al-Shabab threats

"The Mogadishu mayor has died today in Qatar. May Allah rest his soul. The other injured ones are still being treated there in Qatar," Saleh Omar Hassan, the spokesman for Mogadishu's local government, told Reuters.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed declared three days of mourning for the mayor, ordering that flags be flown at half-mast.

Condolences also included a US mission tweet, describing Osman as a "tireless advocate for the people of Mogadishu and all Somalis."

Britain's ambassador to Somalia, Ben Fender, using Osman's nickname, Yarisow ("young engineer"), wrote in a tweet: "We will join hands to finish the work you started."

Osman fled a civil war in Somalia in 1991 for Britain, where he earned an engineering degree and became a Labour Party councilor in London.

He returned to an uncertain future around 2010 and served the first of two stints as Somalia's information minister.

Osman struggled to keep the electric generator at Radio Mogadishu running, despite it being targeted by al-Shabab, British communications consultant Richard Bailey told Reuters last month.

He was appointed mayor of Somali in 2018 and set about reconstructing Mogadishu's rubble-strewn streets.

Osman introduced more measures to intercept potential car bombs and tried to find land, shelter and jobs for those fleeing the conflict, Fender also told Reuters.

Days before the assault on the mayor's office, a car bomb detonated at a checkpoint near Somalia's international airport, killing 17 people and wounding more than than two dozen others.

Al-Shabab was evicted from Mogadishu by African Union and Somali transitional government forces in 2011.

The militia still controls parts of Somalia's southern and central regions and has often targeted high-profile locations and people in Mogadishu.

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Mayor of Mogadishu Abdirahman Abdi Osman dies from injuries he sustained during the 24 July 2019 Mogadishu bombing.