A double suicide car bomb blast followed by gunfire has left at least 18 people dead and wounded 20 others in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, medical workers said, Aljazeera.com reports.
A loud explosion reportedly took place on Friday, followed by a second blast and sustained gunfire which broke out near the president's residence.
The Aamin Ambulance service, which confirmed the death toll, transported victims to the hospital.
The armed group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.
"As far as we know, there has been one blast beside the presidential palace, and another close to a popular hotel," Major Mohamed Ahmed, a police officer, told local media.
The attack comes a day after the Somali government had issued a "terror warning" in the capital.