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> MOGADISHU, Somalia
• A suicide bomber walked into the office of Mogadishu’s mayor and detonated explosives strapped to his waist, killing six people and badly wounding the mayor minutes after a visit from the new United Nations envoy, Somali officials said Wednesday.

The attack claimed by the al-Shabab extremist group occurred after the envoy to Somalia, James Swan, paid the mayor a “courtesy call” and left the compound, an official at the mayor’s office told the AP.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.N. mission in Somalia in a tweet before the bombing posted photos of the smiling mayor and envoy, saying Swan had received an overview of the “challenges” in the region.

The mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, and his deputy were rushed to a hospital with critical wounds, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein said.

Somalia’s information minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir said six officials were killed and six others were wounded.

He told reporters the mayor was being treated and gave no further details. He also confirmed an investigation was underway.

A Somali intelligence official said the officials killed included two district commissioners, two local government directors and a senior adviser to the mayor.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

It was not clear how the bomber managed to enter the mayor’s office during a security meeting.

Some security officials said the attacker might have coordinated with corrupt officials, offering them bribes for access.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets government buildings such as the presidential palace and other high-profile parts of Mogadishu with bombings. The security officials said Wednesday’s attack appeared to be a shift in tactics, as the extremists in the past had rarely managed to infiltrate heavily fortified government buildings without first detonating one or more vehicle bombs. </s> 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> 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> The al-Shabab extremist group says a rare female suicide bomber used in the deadly attack in the office of Mogadishu's mayor was aiming for the American who is the new United Nations envoy to Somalia. He had left the office just minutes earlier.

The death toll in Wednesday's attack has risen to seven, and a hospital official says the seriously wounded Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman is in a coma. He and other officials are expected to be airlifted to Qatar for treatment.

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. Some security officials said the attacker might have coordinated with corrupt officials, offering them bribes for access. </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> 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, Somalia (AP) — A suicide bomber walked into the office of Mogadishu's mayor during a security meeting and detonated explosives strapped to his waist, killing several people and badly wounding the mayor, Somali police said Wednesday.

Police Col. Mohamed Abdi confirmed the brazen attack in Somalia's capital to The Associated Press. Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman and his deputy were rushed to a hospital with critical wounds and two district commissioners were among the dead, said police Capt. Mohamed Hussein.

It was not clear how the bomber managed to enter the mayor's office.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group often targets government buildings such as the presidential palace and other high-profile targets in Mogadishu with bombings.

The Somalia-based group was chased out of Mogadishu years ago but still controls parts of the Horn of Africa nation's south and central regions and is a frequent target of U.S. airstrikes. </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
A suicide bomber detonates inside the office of Mogadishu's mayor Abdirahman Abdi Osman, killing six government officials. Osman is seriously injured in the attack and his condition is critical.