Seventy-three people died in a car bombing on Saturday morning in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the head of the Medina hospital, Mohamed Yusuf, has said.

Some 54 injured victims were brought to the hospital for treatment, he said.

Eyewitnesses spoke of a scene of devastation after a truck at a checkpoint exploded in a busy area of the city.

Although there has been no claim of responsibility so far, Al-Shabab extremists in Somalia remain “a potent threat” to regional peace.

UN experts say that Al-Shabab are now manufacturing home-made explosives, expanding their revenue sources and infiltrating government institutions.

After three decades of civil war, extremist attacks and famine, Somalia established a functioning transitional government in 2012 and has since been working to rebuild stability.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that the country must still tackle violent extremism, terrorism, armed conflict, political instability and corruption. (dpa/NAN)