SOMALIA: IOC President condemns suicide attack

The IOC President Dr Jacques Rogge says he is shocked to hear of the terrorist attack that took the lives of the President of the Somali Olympic Committee Aden Yabarow Wiish and Somali Football Federation chief Said Mohamed Nur today in Mogadishu. "Both men were engaged in improving the lives of Somalian people through sport and we strongly condemn such an act of barbarism. Our thoughts are with the Somalian sporting community who lost two great leaders and with the families of the victims," a statement released on behalf of Rogge by IOC Director of Communications, Mark Adams said. Earlier today AIPS reported that a female suicide bomber detonated a device at a celebration held in the National Theatre to mark the first anniversary of the Somali Television Network. The BBC reports that the Somali Prime Minister, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was present when a young woman detonated a device which killed 10 people. The Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabab militant organisation has claimed responsibility. It is believed that three Somali television journalists were injured in the attack.