"There was a huge blast at a tea-shop near the security ministry, the initial information we are getting indicates it was a car bomb explosion," said Somali police official Mohammed Ibrahim.
Abdifatah Omar Halane, spokesman for the Mogadishu adminstration, said "seven civilians were killed in the blast and more than 10 others wounded."
Witnesses said the area was swarmed by ambulances.
"The blast was huge and I saw ambulances rushing but the area was cordoned off by the police", said witness Abdisalam Sharif.