Somalia says al-Shabab attack kills 5 outside capital

Authorities in Somalia say an attack by the al-Shabab extremist group has killed five people and wounded 16 on the outskirts of the capital of Mogadishu

NAIROBI, Kenya -- An attack by the al-Shabab extremist group on Wednesday killed five people and wounded 16 on the outskirts of Somalia's capital, police said.

Somalia’s government said the early morning attack targeted police and checkpoints outside of Mogadishu.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets Mogadishu, and the United Nations and other international observers have warned that the group would take advantage of Somalia’s current election crisis to launch more attacks.

National elections have been delayed for more than a year.