Somali: Explosion, Gunfire Heard Near Mayor's Office In Mogadishu

A huge blast tore through buildings near the mayor's office in central Mogadishu on Sunday, with gunfire erupting afterwards, police and witnesses told media houses. 

"Terrorists blasted a vehicle loaded with explosives onto a perimeter wall of the Mogadishu mall which is next to the Banadir administration headquarters," police officer Abdullahi Mohamed said.

According to witnesses, the massive explosion caused damage to surrounding buildings, and the shooting could still be heard near the mayor's office.

"There is gunfire going on inside the vicinity of the main building but we don't know what is happening inside," a witness who runs a business near the offices said.

"There are some casualties but the whole area is cordoned off and we have been asked to move away by the security forces."

Omar Nur, another witness, claimed he was inside the mall when the explosion occurred and "was lucky to have fled unharmed."

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack.

For the past 15 years, militants have waged a violent insurgency against the fragile internationally supported central government, carrying out assaults in both Somalia and neighbouring nations.

In recent months, the army and local clan militias have retaken large swaths of land in the country's centre, aided by US air strikes and an African Union force.

Despite the onslaught, the militants have regularly struck with devastating strikes, demonstrating their capacity to strike at the heart of Somali communities and military institutions.