One dead in car bombing in Somali capital: police

Mogadishu (AFP) - At least one person was killed on Friday in a car bombing near a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, police said.

The blast, which was heard across the city and was followed by the sound of bursts of gunfire, hit an area near the Maka al Mukarama hotel, a police official told AFP.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but central Mogadishu, including the hotel itself, has been a frequent target of Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants.

The Islamists stage regular attacks in the capital as part of their fight against the country's internationally-backed government and African Union forces supporting it.