Rush hour car bomb kills many in Somali capital

At least 30 people are reported to have been killed by a car bomb during morning rush hour in Somalia's capital.

The blast took place at a checkpoint at a busy intersection in Mogadishu.

"The blast was devastating, and I could confirm more than 20 civilians killed, there were many more wounded," police officer Ibrahim Mohamed was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb but al-Shabab militants have often carried out attacks there.

Al-Shabab - a group of Islamist militants, allied to Al-Qaeda - has waged an insurgency for more than 10 years. It was forced out of the capital in 2011 but still controls areas of the country.

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Witnesses described carnage at the scene.

"All I could see was scattered dead bodies ... amid the blast and some of them burned beyond recognition," said Sakariye Abdukadir, who was close to the blast.

Image copyrightREUTERS
Image caption
Many were severely injured in the blast
One Somali MP, Mohamed Abdirizak, put the death toll at more than 90, although the information he said he had received has not been independently confirmed.

"May Allah have mercy on the victims of this barbaric attack," the former internal security minister added.

Five people were killed earlier this month when al-Shabab attacked a Mogadishu hotel popular with politicians, diplomats and military officers.