EU Convoy Targeted by Car Bomb in Somalia, No Casualties

TEHRAN (IQNA) –  A suicide car bombing by terrorist group al Shabaab hit a European Union armored convoy in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Monday, damaging one vehicle but causing no casualties, police and the militants said.

A witness saw men towing their damaged vehicle after the explosion hit its rear end. The armored vehicles had Italian and EU flags on them. Police said the blast caused no casualties.

"We targeted officers of EU forces with (a) suicide car bomb. We shall give details of casualties later," Abdiasis Abu Musab, the group's military operations spokesman told Reuters.

The al Qaeda-affiliated militants want to topple Somalia's Western-backed central government and impose their own rule.

The European Union is one of the major sources of funding for the African Union-mandated peace keeping force AMISOM which helps defend Somalia's central government against the militants.