In Somalia, 11 people have been dead and 25 other wounded in a pair of explosions rocked in the capital city Mogadishu.

The al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility of the attacks. Police chief Gen Bashir Abdi Mohamed told reporters that first car bomb went off near a security checkpoint for the presidential palace and was responsible for nine deaths.

The second car bomb killed the driver and his accomplice near a checkpoint on the road to the heavily fortified airport, he said. The airport is home to a number of diplomatic offices.