Peacekeepers killed in Somalia blast

A roadside bomb struck a convoy carrying African Union peacekeepers in Somalia today, killing four peacekeepers in one of the deadliest attacks on the troops since they arrived in March, authorities said.

The attack occurred just weeks after the Somali government declared victory over Islamic insurgents who have vowed to launch an Iraq-style guerrilla war unless the country becomes an Islamic state.

The capital, Mogadishu, has been relatively calm since then, with sporadic bursts of deadly violence.

“Four of our solders were killed on the spot by the roadside bomb in north Mogadishu,” said Capt. Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for the AU force.

Uganda has about 1,400 troops in Somalia, officially as the vanguard of a larger African Union peacekeeping force although so far no other countries have sent reinforcements.