MOGADISHU, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in two suicide car bomb blasts on Saturday morning near Somalia's presidential palace in capital Mogadishu, police said.
A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that the two coordinated blasts could have caused a higher number of deaths and injuries.
"So far, we know that at least 8 people killed in the blasts but the death toll could rise," said the police officer.
Eye witnesses said the explosions were so huge that they shook a wide radius.
"There were massive car bombs, causing panic among the residents. We don't know the number of casualties but we heard several people died," Mukhtar Abdi, a witness, told Xinhua.
Earlier reports said Mohamed Abdulahi, deputy governor of Mogadishu, was injured in the explosion while some of his bodyguards were killed.
A senior reporter from Universal Television died during the blast, but the fate of his colleagues is yet to be established, according to the reports.
Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
