Car bomb blast kills three in Mogadishu

At least three civilians, including a child, have lost their lives in a car bomb explosion in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, officials and witnesses say.

According to the reports, the deadly incident took place on Saturday when an explosive-laden car parked outside a restaurant exploded in the Beyhani district of the capital.

Abdifatah Halane, a spokesman for the Banadir Province which includes the capital, said the blast also injured five other civilians.

"The explosion was enormous... I saw several corpses, including one of a child," said one witness, Farhan Mohamed.

Reports say the restaurant, which is in the northern part of Mogadishu, was regularly used by Somali security forces, although it was unclear if any were there at the time.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Somali government blames such incidents on the al-Shabab terrorist group.

Last month, al-Shabab militants attacked an army base near Mogadishu, claiming to have killed at least 73 soldiers.

SS