Mogadishu, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's military chief escaped an assassination attempt Thursday after a roadside bomb explosion against his vehicle left at least one of his bodyguards dead and five others wounded, the police said.

Mohamed Gele Kahiye, the newly appointed army chief, was not in his vehicle when the remotely controlled bombs ripped through it as it passed along a main road in government controlled part of Mogadishu.

"Fortunately the commander was not in the vehicle when the explosion occurred. One of his bodyguards was killed and five others were also wounded in the incident," Abdulahi Hassan Barise, spokesman for the Somali police told Xinhua.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the latest attack on the Somali army chief, but Islamist rebels opposed to the government often carry out pre-emptive attacks on senior security and political officials of the government whenever the government is preparing for a major offensive.

The Somali government has lately been restructuring its security forces, many of whom have recently received training aboard while top security officials were changed as the government says its is preparing for a major assault to retake the capital city, Mogadishu.

Islamist groups have also been making their own preparations and paraded hundreds of newly trained fighters and armory in their bases in Mogadishu.

The Islamist rebels, who control much of the capital as well as all of south and center of Somalia, have also made huge trenches in the middle of major streets in Mogadishu between areas under the insurgents' control and that of the government.

War of words have been escalating between the two sides in recent days causing the few remaining families in frontline areas in Mogadishu to begin fleeing their homes in fear they may get trapped when fighting breaks.