Mortar Attack Kills Four in Somalia Capital

At least four civilians, including two children, were killed in Mogadishu on Thursday when a volley of mortar shells landed close to Somalia's presidential palace, police and witnesses said.

The four dead were all members of the same family. The two youngsters and their grandmother were killed at once and their father died later of his wounds.

"A woman and two children from the same family were killed in the Wardhigley area and several others were wounded," said Somali police officer Ibrahim Mohamed who blamed "mortar blasts" for the deaths.

"Several rounds of mortar shells landed close to the palace striking civilian occupied houses," Mohamed added.

It was not immediately clear where the mortars were fired from, but witnesses said they appeared to be aiming at the presidential palace, known as Villa Somalia. The hilltop government district is regularly targeted by the Shebab, Somalia's al-Qaida aligned militants fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack.

"I think the mortar shells were aimed at striking the palace as they have landed in a close by neighborhood," said Abdukadir Suleiman, a witness. "It was disaster and it killed several civilians."