3 dead in blast in Somali government compound

MOGADISHU - The Associated Press

Al Shabaab soldiers sit outside a building during patrol along the streets of Dayniile district in Southern Mogadishu, March 5, 2012. Reuters photo

An African Union military spokesman says three people were killed in a bomb attack inside the government compound in Somalia's capital.

Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, the spokesman for the AU force known as AMISOM, says the Wednesday blast happened near the home of the parliamentary speaker. Some Somali officials said the blast was caused by a suicide bomber.

Villa Somalia is a heavily fortified compound in the heart of the city where the most senior Somali government officials, including the president, have their offices. Some also live inside the compound.

The weak U.N.-backed government is supported by nearly 10,000 African Union troops. They are battling against an al-Qaida linked Islamist insurgency. Bomb attacks from the militant group al-Shabab are frequent.