( CNN ) -- A roadside bomb attack Thursday in the Somali capital , Mogadishu , injured the nation 's interior minister and killed one of his secretaries , according to a source close to the minister . The Bakaraha market in Somalia 's capital is one of the most dangerous areas of the city . The mid-day attack on Abdukadir Ali Omar , a member of the transitional government , left him with shrapnel wounds to his leg . The extent of his injuries was unclear , said the source , who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media . The explosion occurred about noon at the Bakaraha market , in one of the most dangerous areas of the city . The interior minister is a popular moderate who led assaults against Ethiopian forces during their invasion of Somalia . Ethiopian troops invaded the country at its request in December 2006 . The Ethiopian invasion ousted the Islamic Courts Union , an Islamic movement that had claimed control of Mogadishu earlier that year . Thursday 's attack on Ali Omar fueled concerns that moderate Islamists would strike out against the hardline Al-Shabab , which is suspected in the explosion . Al-Shabab -- which the United States has designated a terror organization -- warmly welcomed a recent call for the overthrow of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed , Somalia 's new president . The call , delivered via an audio recording , purportedly came from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden . -- Journalist Mohamed Amin Adow contributed to this report .
Attack on Osama bin Laden left him with shrapnel wounds to his leg . Explosion occurred about noon at the Bakaraha market in Mogadishu . Interior minister is a popular moderate in Mogadishu . Fueled concerns moderate Ethiopian would strike against hardline Interior .