Suicide car bomber outside Mogadishu airport kills 3:
MOGADISHU - A Somali police officer says a suicide car bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint near Mogadishu's international airport, killing at least three people.
Capt. Mohamed Hussein says the car bomber detonated the bomb Monday as security forces were searching cars at the checkpoint, few hundred meters (yards) from the main base of the African Union mission.
The checkpoint is close to United Nations offices and the Peace Hotel, which is often frequented by foreigners and officials. The powerful blast blew roofs off nearby buildings.
A second blast and heavy gunfire could also be heard at the checkpoint after the attack, but there were no immediate details.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, the al-Qaeda linked Islamic extremist group al-Shabab often carries out such attacks.
