The explosion caused a number of casualties in the south of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, a government official said.
Al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab said it was a car bomb targeting a building housing government officials.
Officials said there was a “huge explosion” with at least ten people dead and 20 wounded in the blast which destroyed a government building and a number of cars.
Abdifatah Omar Halane, spokesman for the Mogadishu mayor, said: “More than 10 persons died, 20 others were wounded.
“The explosion destroyed the building of Wadajir District headquarters. More than 10 cars were destroyed in the explosion.”
A column of white smoke was seen above the capital with houses near the attack rattled by the explosion.
The terror group al-Shabaab said they were behind the blast.
Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab spokesman for military operations, said: “It’s a suicide car bomb in Wadajir District building in which Somali officials and their staff stay.
“There are government and their staff who have died at the scene. We will tell you the number of dead later.”
The group frequently launches attacks on the capital Mogadishu and other regions controlled by Somalia’s federal government.