Sports Minister Mohamed Hassan escapes grenade attack in Mogadishu

Youth and Sports Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan escaped death Sunday night following a grenade attack in Mogadishu.

The minister said his car was hurled with a hand grenade as he got out to head to a shopping mall along Maka Al Mukarama road in the city’s central business district.

Speaking to VOA, Hassan said he escaped unhurt while a family friend was injured.

“When I got off from the car, a bomb hit and damaged the car, everybody got shocked and ran away from the scene,” the minister said.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack but the minister blamed it on the militant group Al-Shabaab which has been waging war against government officials.