Somali president escapes Islamist ambush unhurt

MOGADISHU (AFP) - Somalia's president Sharif Shekh Ahmed escaped an ambush unharmed Tuesday as Al-Qaeda linked Shebab fighters attacked his armoured convoy in territory recently wrested from the extremists, officials said.

"Desperate terrorist militants tried to disturb the visit of the president at the Afgoye corridor by ambushing his convoy, but security forces repulsed them," said Somali security official Mohamed Moalim.