MOGADISHU, (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed six  policemen and a civilian yesterday in Somalia’s capital and  hardline Islamist insurgents warned more suicide attacks would  target pro-government forces in the coming days.

Abdifatah Shaweye, deputy governor of Mogadishu, said the  bomber drove a 4×4 vehicle to the gate of a police headquarters  and detonated it by the guards.

“Four died on the spot, two others died of serious injuries,  and one civilian (died),” a police commander, who asked not to  be named, told Reuters.

An upsurge in violence this month has killed nearly 200  people in Mogadishu and forced some 60,000 residents from their  homes. At least 53 people have died since Friday morning, when  the government attacked rebel strongholds in the city.

Neighbouring states and Western governments fear Somalia,  which has been mired in civil war for 18 years, could become a  base for militants linked to al Qaeda and destabilise the  region, unless the new government can defeat them.

The chaos onshore has also allowed piracy to flourish off  Somalia’s coast and foreign navies are now patrolling the busy  shipping lanes to try to curb attacks.

Islamist insurgent group al Shabaab, which Washington says  has links to Osama bin Laden, has been spearheading the rebel  offensive with allied guerrilla group Hizbul Islam. They stepped  up attacks in the capital early in May.

“Abdikadir Mohamed Hasan of our Mujahideen carried out the  suicide car bomb,” Sheik Husein Ali Fidow, a senior al Shabaab  official told reporters in a news conference via phone.

“It was committed by a young Somalia boy born in Mogadishu.  More suicide car bombs are on the way coming hours, days and  months,” he said.