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Somali parliamentarian and former trade minister Mohamud Abdi Ibrahim was killed Monday (July 16th) in a car bomb attack in Mogadishu, officials said.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on Radio Andalus.

"Preliminary information indicates that the former minister was killed in an explosion caused by a bomb attached to his car," Banadir Deputy Governor for Security Affairs Warsame Mohamed Hassan said at a news conference at the scene of the incident.

"The member of parliament himself was driving the car," he said. "The police could not identify his body initially because it was so badly burned in the explosion."

"Al-Shabaab, who are the enemies of peace, are responsible for planting this bomb," Hassan told Sabahi.

Witnesses said the bomb could have been attached beneath the driver's seat -- a tactic reportedly used previously by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab movement -- as the front of the vehicle was worst hit.

Police Colonel Hassan Mohamed told Sabahi that police are investigating the attack.

"My sister, who was selling tea near the scene of the explosion, was seriously injured," said Farhiyo Ahmed, a witness, according to AFP. "I saw several other bleeding people who were injured."

The attack took place near the clothing market in the Hamar Weyne district. Two of Ibrahim's bodyguards were injured, as well as four bystanders.

Somali and African Union security forces are conducting large-scale operations to purge the capital of al-Shabaab remnants. The attack comes days before the National Constituency Assembly convenes to ratify the new constitution.