Deadly car bomb explodes near Mogadishu cafe

At least six killed by blast near popular hotel and cafe in the Somali capital, police say.

The car exploded in front of the Aroma cafe in Mogadishu [Mustaf Abdi/Al Jazeera]

At least six people have been killed by a car bomb in the Somali capital Mogadishu, a police officer has said.

Police officer Major Nuur Farah said that several wounded people were taken to hospital after Sunday’s blast near a popular hotel and cafe.

“Now I see six dead bodies,” he said.

“We believe al- Shabab is behind the blast.”

Sources told Al Jazeera that the car laden with explosives was left in front of the Aroma cafe before it exploded. The cafe is popular with youth.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident, but al-Qaeda-linked Shabab fighters have stepped up attacks in the capital and elsewhere in the country after being chased from key cities by African Union-led troops.

Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991, but the government which took power last year was the first to be given global recognition since the conflict began.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies