Deadly car bomb explosion rips through Somali capital

An explosive-laden car has rammed into a local government building in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, leaving at least six people dead, according to the country’s police and ambulance service.

“A suicide car bomb rammed into the office of Hodan district of Mogadishu. There are casualties but so far we do not have a figure,” Major Mohamed Nur of the area’s police department said shortly after the attack on Monday.

But the country’s ambulance service later announced a death toll of six.

The bombing attack was followed by gunfire, according to a Reuters eyewitness, who said huge clouds of smoke were rising above the city.

Other witnesses told the news agency that the government office had been destroyed in the blast.

The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, a car bomb attack destroyed another district office in Mogadishu.

Al-Shabab frequently carries out bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.

The terrorists were forced out of Mogadishu by African Union forces in 2011. However, they still control parts of the countryside and carry out attacks against government, military, and civilian targets in the capital as well as regional towns every now and then.