At least 10 people died and 12 others were wounded on Sunday (May 31) when an explosive device ripped through a minibus outside the Somali capital Mogadishu, the government said.

The explosion occurred near Lafole village along Afgoye-Mogadishu where the passenger bus was travelling early in the day.

Witnesses said the minibus was completely destroyed, and described a horrific scene with dead passengers and the severely wounded survivors.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but al Qaeda-aligned Shabaab group carries out regular attacks in and around the capital, often killing civilians and members of the security forces.