Bomb Targets UN Officials in Somalia, Kills Seven People

A bomb attack on a United Nations (UN) vehicle left seven people dead in the Puntland region of Somalia.

According to an eyewitness, the bomb was attached to a UN bus, while initial reports spoke of a suicide attack, the BBC reports.

It is believed that the victims were Kenyan and Somali citizens working for the mission of the UN.

UNICEF announced that four of its officials were among the dead, while four others were in critical condition.

The militant Islamist group Al-Shabaab, which pledges allegiance to al-Qaeda, is fighting against the government of Somalia to gain control of the country.

Recently, the insurgents have carried out deadly attacks on Somalia's Higher Education Ministry in Mogadishu and the Garissa University College in neighbouring Kenya.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the latest incident, which occurred in Garowe, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, where attacks are less common.