SW News: At least eight people were killed in Somalia's capital on Thursday in an Islamist suicide bomb attack. In the daring attack by al Shabaab militants, 17 people, including 13 children, were left with injuries. It is the latest in the chain of deadly blasts in the conflict-torn nation in the horn of Africa. The militants have confirmed that they intended to strike the UN convoy passing near the school in Mogadishu.

It is not immediately clear if any UN personnel are among the casualties. However, witnesses said that a cloud of smoke rose over the Mocaasir Primary and Secondary School after the blast.

Mohamed Malick Fall, regional director for eastern and southern Africa for the UN children's agency UNICEF, said in a statement, "Schools – and any other place where children congregate – should at all times be safe for children. This violence is not only morally egregious but violates international humanitarian law. UNICEF calls upon all parties to always uphold the safety of children and protect them from any form of violence and harm."

The latest attack comes after the killing of a prominent Somali journalist, Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled on November 22. For years, al Shabaab has fought against Somalia's central government, attempting to seize control and enforce its rigid interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

The al-Qaeda-linked group has been attacking Somalia and the African Union-mandated AMISOM force that supports the government.