UNSC expresses ‘outrage’ over Somalia attack

The attackers detonated two bombs as they tried to break into the parliament compound in the capital Mogadishu on Saturday.

The UNSC members expressed "outraged that al-Shabab has attacked the federal parliament, an institution which represents the Somali people and their legitimate hopes for peace, prosperity and stability."

Some reports say 20 people, including eight assailants and two lawmakers, were killed and several others were injured.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also denounced the raid, expressing "solidarity and support" for the legislators.

"There can be no justification for such attacks," Ban said.

Al-Shabab has conducted similar attacks in Mogadishu, including those targeting the city's main court complex and the presidential palace.

Somalia has been gripped by deadly violence, including attacks against aid workers in the past months.

Back in June 2013, al-Shabab attacked a fortified UN compound in central Mogadishu. The assault left more than ۱۵ people dead.

Al-Shabab militants have been pushed out of Mogadishu and other major cities in Somalia by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is made up of troops from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone and Kenya.

Somalia did not have an effective central government from 1991 to August 2012. In September 2012, Somali lawmakers elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the new president of Somalia.