Officials figure Somalia bombing must have been al-Shabab — again

JOHANNESBURG - A push by security forces in Somalia to stop al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has cost the extremist group some territory and leaders.

But the group has proved resilient. So although as of Monday al-Shabab had not claimed responsibility for the weekend truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed more than 300 people, the attack resembled others by the group, and Somali authorities were sure al-Shabab was responsible.

The enduring enigma about al-Shabab is how the group has remained so tenacious, retaining support in some areas of Somalia despite a series of deadly attacks on civilians going back years. Mogadishu, the capital, has been hard hit:

_A Dec. 3, 2009, suicide