At Least Six Dead In Car Bombing In Somalia's Capital

click to expand

(CNN) -- A car bombing on Sunday morning in Mogadishu, Somalia, has left at least six people dead and 15 others wounded, according to a city official.

The attack targeted local government offices, according to Salah Hassan Omar, a spokesman for the city of Mogadishu.

Three Somali soldiers are among the dead, according to Col. Aden Dahir of the Somali military.

The soldiers were killed while attempting to stop the speeding vehicle before it detonated around 9 a.m. local time, sending a powerful blast ripping through the government building and other nearby buildings, including a mosque.

The terrorist group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack through its media channel, Andalus Radio.

Abdisalam Hassan Abdi, a teacher at a nearby madrassa, was injured in the explosion, and described the carnage and chaos in the area.

"We heard a huge explosion as the students were in their morning class," he said. "The whole area was devastated by the car bomb."