Car blast, intense firing at Somali beach restaurant 

A car bomb exploded at a popular seaside restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and intense firing followed the blast, said police.

According to The Guardian, the Lido beach area is busy with restaurants, including up market establishments popular with business people and Somalis who have returned home to Mogadishu.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but al-Shabaab insurgents linked to al-Qaida have carried out a string of similar bombings in the past.

Al-Shabaab militants, who are fighting to overthrow the internationally backed government in Mogadishu, carry out regular attacks in the capital. (ANI)