At least five dead in bomb attack in Somalia: security officer

At least five people were killed and several others wounded when a car bomb was detonated Monday outside a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, a security officer and witnesses said.

"There are casualties. I can confirm the death of five people: three civilians and two government security officers at the checkpoint" outside the Afrik Hotel where the blast occurred, Abdullahi Ahmed, a security officer who witnessed the explosion, told AFP.