Turkey strongly condemns car bomb blast in Somalia

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Foreign Ministry on Sunday has strongly condemned the terror attack in Somalia that claimed at least 22 lives earlier in the day.

In a written statement, the foreign ministry said "Turkey will continue to stand by the brotherly Somali people and continue its efforts on building stability and welfare in the country."

At least 22 people died and 23 others injured after a car bomb targeted the seaport in the Somali capital Mogadishu Sunday morning.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated group al-Shabaab have claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming it had killed 30 people and injured 50 others.

The Mogadishu seaport -- the largest in the country -- is managed by the Turkish company Albayrak.

Sunday's blast comes a day after another car bomb attack -- for which the al-Shabaab group also claimed responsibility -- targeted U.S.-trained Somali special forces on the outskirts of Mogadishu, claiming the lives of at least four people.