By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA): At least 20 people were killed and 30 others wounded when a suicide car bomb blast targeted a busy restaurant in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Friday, medical sources said.

The attack occurred during evening rush hour near seaport in Hamarjajab neighborhood.

Police spokesman Sadaq Adan Ali told Anadolu Agency by phone minutes after the explosion that an explosive-laden car hit the restaurant, adding investigations are underway to determine the damage.

Paramedics at the scene said they saw 20 people dead and transported over 30 wounded to Mogadishu hospitals for treatment.

“Preliminary information the resent explosion in mogdisho that Amin Ambulance took 30 injuries and saw 20 deaths!” Abdulkadir Adan, Aamin Ambulance chairman, tweeted.

Abdifatah Hassan, a police officer in the area, told Anadolu Agency that giving the magnitude of the explosion, the fatalities could be more than 20 people, mostly civilians.

According to local and state media, the explosion damaged residential area and people may have been trapped inside their houses.

Earlier, Somali Information Ministry spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo said in a statement on Twitter: “A car bomb has exploded outside the Lul Yemeni restaurant near the port city of Mogadishu. Reports from Hamarjajab district in Benadir region say that there were casualties as a result of the blast.”

It is a busy restaurant frequented by security officials and civilians.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack via radio Andalus, saying they attacked security officials’ meeting point.

[Photo:  A view of the explosion site after a bomb-laden vehicle exploded in front of a restaurant near Mogadishu seaport, Somalia on March 05, 2021. Photographer:  Sadak Mohamed/AA]