Carnage as huge truck bomb explodes in Somali capital

A huge truck bomb, described by residents as the most powerful heard in years, has killed at least 20 people in Somalia's capital. The explosion appeared to target a hotel in a busy road in Hodan district. Police said security forces had been trailing the truck after it raised suspicions. The blast occurred two days after the head of the US Africa Command was in Mogadishu to meet Somalia's president and two days after the country's defence minister and army chief resigned. Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabab recently stepped up attacks on army bases across south and central Somalia. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's blast, al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu with deadly bombings. The US military has stepped up drone strikes and other efforts this year against the al Qaida-linked al-Shabab, which is also fighting the Somali military and more than 20,000 African Union forces in the country.