Police officials in the Somali capital Mogadishu have told reporters that a heavy explosion has hit the city’s main market, amid gunfire from unknown attackers.

A vehicle carrying government security forces exploded in the Bakara market in a strange circumstance as it is difficult to ascertain whether the explosive device was planted in the car or buried under the ground in the area.

Some eyewitnesses said the casualties were carried away by other security forces, but it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

Police say they are investigating the explosion and will soon release further details about how many casualties are involved.

“A four-wheel-drive car carrying men in government uniform exploded in the Bakara market,” said one witness, immediately gunfire opened up, we are not sure who is doing it. The men in the car looked like soldiers,” a money exchanger told the Reuters News Agency.

No group has said it carried out the blast yet, but al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab has staged many attacks in Mogadishu since being driven out of the city by pro-government forces in 2011 and it is more than likely that Shabab carried out the attack.

Somalia has been rocked by heavy insurgency from al-Shabab fighters for more than a decade. The government was fragile and was controlling small part of the capital Mogadishu until the intervention of African Union forces who managed to gain significant control of the country by driving al-Shabab from the capital in 2011.

But al Shabab still operates in guerrilla tactics and counter-attack pro-government forces. Last month, al- Shabab assault on United Nations base left 22 people dead.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News