Two killed in Somalia explosion

A blast at a government office in the northern district of Karan in Somalia's capital Mogadishu Monday left at least two people dead and and five others injured, police and witnesses said.

The explosion hit a municipal office of the local Mogadishu administration as workers gathered for the day's work, police officer Mohamoud Baar said, according to Xinhua.

"We believe that the bomb was somehow hidden inside the office and was remotely detonated. One soldier and a civilian died in the explosion. Five others were also injured in the blast," Baar said.

Local media reports indicate that the toll could be higher and that some of the injured were tax collection officers.

It is not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion. The radical Islamist group of Al Shabaab has been carrying out similar attacks against Somali government.

The Al Qaeda-linked extremists often increase their attacks against the Somali government and troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Somali government officials have announced measures to strengthen security in Mogadishu as the Muslim fasting month begins.