World Bulletin / News Desk

At least nine people were killed in a suspected suicide car bomb attack in the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, according to a police official.

The explosion took place outside Wadajir district headquarters, which is opposite to a busy marketplace known as Suuqa-weyn.

“The death toll may rise further; most of the dead are civilians,” Police Capt. Mohamed Abdi said.

An eyewitness Mohamed Abdirahman said that he saw several injured people on the ground at the blast site.

Al-Shabaab fighters said they were behind the blast that according to the group took place when intelligence officials were holding a meeting at the district headquarters.

The blast came less than a week after al-Shabaab fighters stormed a pizza restaurant in the capital, killing at least 31 people.

Al-Shabab has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Somalia to try to topple the country's Western-backed government.