Iran Press/Africa: The explosion struck as crowds were singing and dancing at the Eid al-Fitr festival in Baidoa, which is about 150 miles west of the capital Mogadishu, witnesses told Agence France-Presse.
The cause of the explosion in Baidoa, 250 kilometers outside the capital Mogadishu, is not yet known.
“The initial information we have received indicates the bodies of five people were collected from the scene of the blast and more than 20 others have been wounded,” police officer Mohamed Muktar told AFP.
The death toll could increase because of the severity of some of the injuries, he said.
Witness Mohamud Ibrahim said the crowd had been dancing and singing when the blast occurred.
Al Shabab, an Al Qaeda affiliate, was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 and lost most of its strongholds, but some of the terrorists still are in the countryside.
Its militants have pledged to overthrow the internationally-backed government in the capital and still carry out attacks including suicide bombings against government and international targets.
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