Somalia car bomb kills people at café packed with fans watching Euro 2024 final

The restaurant had been full, with some on the pavement outside as the bomb went off, sending people scrambling for safety, witnesses said.

“We heard a loud, horrifying explosion during the first half of the game that we were watching. Everyone had to figure out how to save themselves,” one of the survivors, Mohamed Muse, told the BBC.

“I saw people in danger, injured people screaming for help, and others confused – it was terrifying,” he added.

The explosion also destroyed a number of cars and damaged several buildings.

Al-Shabab, part of the al-Qaeda group, reportedly said it was targeting a place where security and government workers meet at night.

The area is close to Villa Somalia, the official presidential residence.

The jihadist group has carried out numerous bombings in the city and other parts of Somalia over the last 17 years.

However, there has has been a lull in recent months amid a continuing offensive by Somali security forces against the group, which still controls large parts of the country.