Mogadishu: Eight members of an extended family were killed in a roadside bombing in central Somalia that was attributed to the jihadist group Al-Shabab, the mayor of the area said on Monday.

The explosion happened late on Sunday night close to a village outside of Buloburde, which is located about 136 miles (220 kilometres) north of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

'Eight innocent civilians from the same family were killed, among them a woman,' the mayor of Buloburde, Sadam Abdi Idow, told reporters.
"Terrorists from al-Shabab planted the mine after being overpowered in ongoing military operations in the area. These terrorists don't care about civilians at all. 

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Seven victims reportedly perished at the scene, and one died later, according to witnesses.

Three people were from one family, and the remaining people were from other related families. They were all related, according to Buloburde resident Abdikarin Hassan.
Since 2007, a bloody insurgency led by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabab has been attempting to topple the foreign-supported government in Mogadishu.

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Despite a major offensive launched last August by pro-government forces, supported by African Union troops and US air strikes, its fighters were driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but it still maintains a deadly force.

According to military sources, the attack in the vicinity of Buloburde came after a protracted firefight in the area.

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"During this armed conflict, the terrorists were victorious, but they exacted revenge on civilians. They placed a land mine along the main civilian road, a Somali military commander named Ahmed Ali said over the phone.