Mohammed Hussein, a senior Somali police officer. A pedestrian standing nearby was killed by the blast, as well as the bomber, he said.
Several people including some of the army chief's bodyguards were maimed, Hussein told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named. Casualties may rise as some of the maimed sustained serious injuries, he said.
Shops and businesses were damaged by the blast which occurred on a road to a military camp where the army chief was heading, said Col. Ahmed Muse, a police officer.
At least one dead body could be seen lying at the scene of the blast, he said.
Somalia's holy warrior rebel group al-Shabaab
...... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda..., which is linked to al-Qaeda, grabbed credit for the blast in an announcement on its Andalus radio station.