At least 15 people were killed Thursday and many more wounded in a suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in the Somali capital. Several journalists were among those killed in the attack.
Officials say two suicide bombers attacked the Village Restaurant on Thursday evening in downtown Mogadishu.
The restaurant, owned by a British-Somali businessman, is popular with students, politicians and journalists.
Hassan Ali Geesey, director of Dalsan Radio, said at least three journalists were killed in the attack and reported seeing many more bodies at the scene.
“Me, I saw at least nine bodies of dead and at least 22 people, including journalists and civilian people who were injured at the place,” said Geesey.
The Director of Somali National Television, Liban Ali Nur, was among those killed in the attack. He had survived a previous suicide bombing targeting journalists in April at the National Theater, just across the street from the Village restaurant.
No one had claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of reporting, but the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, known as AMISOM, said in a message on Twitter that it was the work of suspected al-Shabab bombers.
The al-Qaida linked militant group has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past, including a suicide bombing last week targeting the newly elected president of Somalia at a downtown hotel.