Somalis: police truck explodes

A police pickup truck exploded in the capital of Somalia Monday, wounding at least five policemen, witnesses said.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, but it was the first blast in the city since the fragile Somali government declared victory over insurgents two weeks ago.

"I have seen government troops evacuating five injured policemen out of a police pickup truck damaged in the front," said Abdikarim Haji Nor, who lives near the Aden Ade road that leading to the presidential palace.

Nor said he heard the explosion from his house and went out to see what happened. He said government troops quickly sealed off the area.

The blast was the first explosion to target government troops since Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's government routed Islamic fighters on April 26 in some of the worst fighting in the capital in 15 years.

The country's Police Chief Abdi Qeybdid, who arrived the scene 15 minutes after the blast, refused to comment.