摩加迪沙附近爆炸造成20人丧生

A massive truck bomb exploded outside Mogadishu's new seaport Sunday morning, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens of others.

The militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the blast that occurred in a parking lot near the entrance of Mogadishu's port, causing huge damage to the surrounding areas.

Mogadishu residents said the blast could be heard across the city, and pictures of black smoke from the scene were circulated on social media.

A Mogadishu's regional administration spokesman told VOA's Somali service that most of the victims were civilians.

Mogadishu's seaport is run by Al-Bayrak, a Turkish company that has a 20-year agreement with the Somali government to upgrade and manage the operations of the port. It is unclear if any of the Turkish nationals were hurt.