At least 8 people have been killed in the central town of Galkacyo. Among them a senior official from the Puntland region. Authorities say a suicide bomber targeted a hotel in the town. Ministry of Finance official Said Ali Yusuf was killed along with his security detail. Al Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for the attack. The town is governed by both the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and the central government. Puntland had previously avoided al-Shabaab violence, but that changed earlier this month when its forces killed at least 170 militants.
