Car blast in Somalia kills at least six

A suspected car bomb attack outside a popular hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Friday evening killed at least six people and left the area covered with blood and burning vehicles, a senior police officer said.

Mogadishu has often been the target of attacks by Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda-aligned armed group that was driven out of the capital by African troops two years ago, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

"We understand a car laden with explosives was parked in front of the hotel," Farah Aden, a senior police officer, told Reuters.

The vehicle exploded next to Maka al-Mukarama hotel. Police immediately sealed off the area around the hotel, which is situated along a busy Mogadishu street.

Four policemen were among the killed, while 15 other people were wounded, Aden said, adding, "The death toll may rise. There are serious injuries."

"I condemn this attack in the strongest terms and send my condolences to the families and friends of all the innocent victims who were killed and wounded,” Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said in a statement. “Once again the enemies of peace show their true colours to the world."

Friday's attack and others in recent months that have targeted offices of the United Nations, restaurants and other sites highlight the challenge faced by the Somali government as it tries to rebuild the nation after two decades of conflict.

In September, Al-Shabab rebels deployed a car bomb and suicide bomber, killing at least 15 people and wounding 23 others.

Reuters