(ANSA) - MOGADISHU, JAN 22 - A car bomb loaded with explosives crashed into the wall of a shopping center in Mogadishu, near the town hall, and gunshots were heard immediately afterwards.
A police officer reported it.
"Gunshots are heard near the main building, but we don't know what's going on inside," said a witness.
"There are some casualties, but the whole area is cordoned off and the security forces have asked us to leave."
Al-Shabaab, a militant group allied with Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack via its communication channels, saying its fighters "forced their way inside the targeted building after killing the security guards" .
It is still not clear what the number of victims is, nor if the action is over.
A few days ago seven soldiers were killed in a military camp in Galcad, a city in central Somalia about 375km north of the capital.
Yesterday the US military said the attack on the Somali city, retaken by the army this week, involved more than 100 Al-Shabaab jihadists.
(HANDLE).
