Blast hits local gov't office in Somali capital

By Mohammed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – A bomb explosion on Friday evening targeted a local government office near Somalia's biggest market in the capital Mogadishu.

Confirming the blast, Somali police spokesman Sadaq Adan Ali told Anadolu Agency by phone a grenade was hurled at a local government office near Bakaara market in the Hodan district.

No casualties were reported, he said, adding further investigations were underway.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Somali-based al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for many recent attacks in the Horn of Africa country.

Al-Shabaab militants have stepped up attacks on security forces as operations by Africa Union Mission Forces and the Somali National Army continue pushing the group from its strongholds in the country.