Mogadishu: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy was hit by a landmine explosion on Tuesday near the Presidential Palace in central Mogadishu.

According to Qatar News Agency, Somali police sources reported the attack caused material damage to nearby buildings and that the police imposed a security cordon around the area.

For its part, the Al Shabaab armed movement, linked to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the explosion in a Telegram post. Sheikh Mohamud was heading to the frontlines of the ongoing offensive against Al Shabaab militants, conducted by the army in cooperation with locals.