Mogadishu deputy mayor survives bomb attack

MOGADISHU, May 26 (Reuters) Mogadishu's deputy mayor said he survived a roadside blast targeting him today that killed a boy and wounded at least five others, the latest Iraq-style insurgent attack in the chaotic capital.

''A 10-year-old boy died on the spot. The mine exploded after I had just passed it,'' Deputy Mayor Abdifatah Ibrahim Omar told Reuters by telephone. ''Four of my guards seated in the back were wounded. A 70-year-old man was also seriously wounded.'' Omar's father was killed in a similar blast during fighting in February and he was appointed last month to take over the position.

Shopkeeper Nur Abdikadir said he heard a loud bang followed by smoke and flames immediately after the blast. He quickly closed his shop and fled.

''I saw two soldiers being pulled out of the half-burning car,'' Abdikadir said. ''The explosion was loud and terrifying. I heard gun shots immediately after the explosion. The troops were firing in panic.'' Security officials said soldiers had rounded up several people found in the vicinity of the blast.

Reuters PY RN1509