Somalia’s president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt today when a car bomb exploded outside the parliament building in the city of Baidoa, but the blast and a subsequent gunbattle left 11 people dead, officials said.

Two explosions rocked the seat of Somalia’s virtually powerless government today, killing the president’s brother and three others, officials said.

Two explosions rocked Baidoa, the seat of the Somalia’s virtually powerless government, today witnesses said.