Security forces foil suicide attack

Security forces foiled an attempt by Islamist militants to launch a suicide attack on a political conference in a central Somali town on Thursday, killing three gunmen and the driver of a car packed with explosives, police said.

"A suicide car bomb rammed into the gate of the hall and three armed men stormed in but, fortunately, AMISOM troops killed them before they could enter," Major Nur Ahmed, a police officer, told Reuters, referring to the African Union force AMISOM which was guarding the conference hall in Adado.

The militant Al Shabaab group claimed responsibility, saying its gunmen were fighting inside. A local leader said there was brief fight but the gunmen were killed before entering.