Al Shabaab, a terrorist group which is aligned with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Beach View Cafe on Mogadishu's popular Lido beach.

Mogadishu's popular Lido beach

Witnesses said al Shabaab terrorists set off the first car bomb at dusk. A huge second blast, which they said echoed around Mogadishu city centre, struck about an hour later as government soldiers laid siege to the restaurant.

Sound of gunfire could be heard inside the restaurant as government forces try to rescue those trapped.Al Shabaab says they have taken over the hotel.

Somali police announced more than 20 people killed as security forces end deadly siege of a beachfront restaurant in the capital.

A burning car is seen on November 1, 2015 after an explosion at the Sahafi hotel in Mogadishu. At least 12 people were killed in the Somali capital on November 1, 2015 after Shebab gunmen used a vehicle packed with explosives to blast their way inside a hotel, police said. The Al-Qaeda linked Shebab claimed responsibility for the dawn attack at the Sahafi hotel, which is popular with members of parliament, government employees and businessmen. AFP PHOTO

Al Shabaab (Al Shebab) wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and impose a strict version of Islamic law across Somalia, a nation racked by conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 1991.