Huge blast jolts Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Feb 4 (MENA) - A huge blast rocked the heart of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday and clouds of smoke could be seen rising in the sky, Euronews quoted an eyewitness as saying.

It was unclear what caused the explosion but militant group al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia against government, military and other targets.

The extremist Islamist group is trying to remove the Western-backed central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of sharia law.