At Least 13 Killed By Suicide Bomber In Central Somalia

At least 13 people have been killed in Somalia on Saturday after a suicide bomber blew up a restaurant packed with local officials and politicians.

Aljazeera reports that the dead were mostly civilians while 20 people were also injured.

The police spokesman, Dini Roble Ahmed also added that the blast caused huge damages.

Several witnesses said the explosion tore through an open area of the Hassan Dhiif restaurant where people gathered under trees to eat lunch.

The Police and government officials confirmed the restaurant attack was the result of a suicide bomber.

The attack took place on the eve of the first round of voting for parliamentary seats in the constituency. The police also added that two deputy district commissioners were among the dead.

According to a report by SITE intelligence, which monitors armed groups online, Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group, which frequently targets the government and civilians, has unleashed two attacks in the past two weeks.