Somali's Lido beach hit by car bombs and gunmen in Mogadishu

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35377484

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Popular beachfront restaurants have been hit by car bombs and gunmen in the Somali capital Mogadishu, reports say.

The first car bomb went off in the early evening, followed soon after by as many as five gunmen approaching from the beach. A second car bomb went off half an hour later, BBC Somali reports.

There is no information on casualties.

No group has said it carried out the attack, but suspicion will fall on al-Shabab which has carried out similar bombings in the past.

Lido Beach, on the northern edge of Mogadishu, attracts thousands of mostly young Somalis looking to relax and enjoy the beach and the surf.

Several restaurants have opened up along the beach front in recent years, and people would have been sitting out in front of them when the first attack happened at around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT).

The Beach View and Lido Sea Food restaurants were hit, Abdirahman Koronto from the BBC's Somali service reports.

Fighting is reported to be continuing. The police said a security operation is under way and more details will be given later.