Donald M. Payne, a New Jersey congressman and the chairman of the House sub-committee on Africa, narrowly escaped a mortar attack on Monday as he was ending a quick and rare visit to Somalia’s bullet-ridden capital. Just a day after American military snipers killed three Somali pirates and freed a kidnapped sea captain, eliciting vows of revenge from pirates and other Somalis, several mortars exploded in the vicinity of Mr. Payne’s plane as it was taking off from Mogadishu’s airport for Nairobi, Kenya. At least 10 civilians were wounded in the explosions. The congressman was unhurt and it was unclear if insurgents who routinely shell the airport were trying to hit his plane or simply unleashing another assault on the city’s main lifeline.
An Islamist insurgent group vying for control of the country, Al Shabaab, later took responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.
“We fired on the airport to target the so-called democratic congressman sent by Obama,” said Sheikh Hussein Ali, a spokesman for Al Shabaab. “Let him go back with the message of our strength and enmity towards the U.S. and its allies. No single group can claim control of Mogadishu, and Al Shabaab will continue its attacks.”
