Al- Shabaab terrorists on Sunday set a car bomb close to a cafe near the presidential palace in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu which exploded killing many people who were watching the Euro 2024 final.

The explosion killed at least nine persons and injured several others, the government said.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the deadly attack via an affiliated radio station, saying the bombing targeted a place where security and government workers meet at night.

The explosion destroyed 10 cars and damaged several buildings nearby in a well-guarded area near the presidential palace.

Mohamed Salad, a Police officer, had rushed to the scene a few minutes after the blast and told AFP that several bodies were discovered under the debris.

Despite losing large swaths of territory to government forces and their allies, al-Shabab has frequently launched raids and deadly attacks targeting the government.

Eyewitnesses have given different account of what happened at the scene of the bomb blast

The restaurant had been full, with some on the pavement outside as the bomb went off, sending people scrambling for safety, witnesses said.

“We heard a loud, horrifying explosion during the first half of the game that we were watching. Everyone had to figure out how to save themselves,” one of the survivors, Mohamed Muse, told the BBC.

“I saw people in danger, injured people screaming for help, and others confused – it was terrifying,” he added.

Another witness told the AFP news agency that some people in the cafe were able to escape by clambering up ladders at the back and jumping out over the wall.

Al shabaab has been fighting to topple the fragile central government in Mogadishu for more than 17 years, carrying out numerous bombings and other attacks in the capital and other parts of the country.