Assassination attempt on Somali President

Nairobi, Sep 18: Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf escaped injury today when a car exploded outside Somalia's parliament in the town of Baidoa as he was leaving the assembly, Somali Foreign Minister Ismail Hurre told Reuters.

''A car exploded when the president's convoy was passing on the way to his residence. He is fine. There are no fatalities, some injuries,'' Hurre said in Nairobi.

Arab television station Al Jazeera reported an explosion occurred inside the parliament building. Its correspondent said he was hearing conflicting reports of possible other blasts around the building.

Somalia's interim government is based in the provincial town of Baidao.

The country's 14th attempt at government since the ouster of a dictator in 1991 has been stymied by infighting and the newly empowered Islamists who have taken control of Mogadishu and large parts of southern Somalia.

Last year there were two assassination attempts on Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi.

Reuters