Death toll from Mogadishu hotel explosion rises to 15

The death toll from a suicide car bomb explosion at the entrance of a hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu has risen to 15, police said.

Police officer Abdulle Mohamed said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, who detonated his car at the gate of Jazeera hotel, reported Xinhua.

He said that most of those killed were civilians, adding that several others were injured in the incident and rushed to hospitals. Rescuers were unable to retrieve bodies from the rubble as some of the buildings of the hotel collapsed due to the force of the explosion, he said.

Somali Police Commander General Mohamed Hassan said that the site of the attack has been cordoned off for further investigation.

The hotel is located near the city's airport and has often hosted international diplomats in the past.

Islamist militant group Al Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is believed to have been carried out in response to the offensive launched by an African Union force and the Somali government against the terror outfit.