At least eight people have been killed after two car bombs have exploded outside Jazeera hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

The blasts were at the Jazeera hotel close to Mogadishu’s airport, which is popular with Somali politicians.

Reports say the blasts were followed by exchanges of fire between security forces and the attackers.

The Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab, who was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, have said they carried out the attack.

At least eight people have been killed after two car bombs have exploded outside Jazeera hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu

The al-Qaeda-linked group still controls many southern and central areas of the country and has continued to launch attacks on the capital.

Four members of the security services were among the dead, including one senior officer, the deputy interior minister said.

Police officer Mohamed Warsame told the AFP agency that the second bomb went off as security services were trying to help the victims of the first blast.

The Jazeera hotel was also targeted in December 2012, when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was staying there. At least seven people die in that attack.

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