MOGADISHU, December 9, 2012 - One fan was killed and at least 11 others wounded after unidentified assailants threw a hand grenade at a building where fans were watching last night’s Chelsea-Sunderland Premier League clash, government officials told the media on Sunday.

“This is the work of notorious Al-shabaab terrorists who are always against the peaceful football–they threw a hand grenade at the Cinema Mogadishu building killing one man and wounded 11 others.We are very sorry for what happened to the innocent football fans,” Wadajir district deputy commissioner Moalim Mahmoud Saneey told the media.

The deputy commissioner said that government forces cordoned off the whole area as soon as the grenade attack happened, but unfortunately the perpetrators escaped.

“They escaped but we are hunting them, we have some intelligent information about them and we hope to arrest them soon” Moalim Mahmoud indicated.

Meanwhile the Somali Football Federation has condemned the attack against football addicts who have nothing to do with politics. “We cannot say who was behind, but it is another very shocking experience for the Somali Football Federation and the entire football lovers in Somalia” the Somali Football Federation said in a press statement Sunday.

“We demand all warring groups in Somalia to respect football, because football is for peace and people who love football are always busy in watching or playing the game–they are not trouble makers or they don’t interfere into other things like policy so please let them freely watch or play the game “the SFF said in a statement Sunday.

The SFF sent condoned with the family and friends of the person who died in the attack.

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar, Somali Sports Press Association