Car bomb kills at least 11 outside Somalia hotel
A picture shows the site of a car bomb attack outside the Maka al Mukarama hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Nov. 8, 2013. Around 11 people were killed in the attack at the gate of the hotel, which was hosting several VIPs at the time of the blast.
At least 11 people were killed and others injured Friday night when a car bomb exploded outside a popular hotel in the Somali capital.
The car bomb went off shortly after a bomb planted in a laptop computer detonated at a nearby restaurant in Mogadishu, covering the area in blood and burning vehicles, The Associated Press reported.
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"I could see several burning cars, dead and injured people on the ground," police official Anshur Nur told AFP.
The hotel was rumored to be hosting several high-profile guests at the time of the blast.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
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However, Mogadishu has often been the target of attacks by Al Shabaab. The Qaeda-aligned Islamist group was driven out of the capital by African troops two years ago, Reuters reported.
The group claimed responsibility for September's attack on Westgate Mall in neighboring Kenya that left 67 people dead.