Somalia: The death toll from a car bomb in the city of Jowhar has risen to 5 people.

At least five people were killed Sunday when a car exploded in an attack on a hotel in Johar, Somalia, police said.

The blast injured 14 others and destroyed buildings adjacent to a hotel located in the city of Jowhar, about 90 kilometers north of the capital, Mogadishu.

Police said a car bomb rammed into the outer wall of a hotel frequented by state legislators and other local officials, Somali state television reported.

And the French news agency quoted Mohamed Ali, a Jowhar police officer, as saying the attack “killed five civilians, including women working at the hotel and security guards.”

Police officer Muhammad Ali called the explosion “the largest in the history of Jowhar” and caused extensive damage to buildings in the city.

Al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Source: agencies