Alwaght- A loud explosion was heard in Somalia's capital on Tuesday, and huge clouds of smoke could be seen, accompanied by gunfire, Reuters reported, saying the cause of the blast was not established yet.
"There was a blast close to the SYL hotel area, near the main checkpoint of the presidential palace," said security officer Ibrahim Mohamed.
However, daily star cited police as saying it was a suicide car bomb which went off just outside the presidential palace in Mogadishu.
Major Mohamed Ali, a police officer, said: "A suicide car bomb exploded outside the presidential palace. So far two hotels opposite the palace are partially destroyed."
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but Al-Shabab, a militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, is likely to be suspected. The militants have run a campaign of suicide bombings and armed attacks in 2016, including a previous assault on the SYL hotel in February in which at least nine people were killed.
Al-Shabab is waging an insurgency against the Western-backed government in Mogadishu. Somalia is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in September and October, with tribal elders selecting MPs rather than a popular vote.
