Somali minister killed in attack

Somalia's security minister has been killed in a suicide bombing at a hotel in Beledweyne, just north of the capital, Mogadishu, according to the country's information minister and witnesses.Somalia's ambassador to South Africa and at least nine other people were also thought to have been killed in the blast on Thursday, reports said.Farhan Ali Mohamud, the information minister, announced the death of Omar Hashi Aden, the security minister, but declined to give any other details.Hashi had moved to Beledweyne at the beginning of June with heavily armed troops in an attempt to regain territory from fighters of the al-Shabab group.Al-Shabab, which Washington claims has ties to al-Qaeda, has vowed to topple the Somali government led by of Sharif Ahmed, the president.A doctor from a nearby hospital said that most of the dead have been burnt beyond recognition.