A suicide bomber has detonated an explosives-laden truck near the gate of Somalia's presidential palace in the capital on Tuesday, August 30, killing at least 12 people, police say, according to the Associated Press.

The bomb exploded during a morning traffic jam, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior police officer.

Some Cabinet ministers at the SYL hotel were among the 31 injured, said Hussein. The blast damaged nearby hotels often frequented by government officials and business executives, he said.

The explosion was heard across Mogadishu, and smoke was seen billowing over the area of the presidential compound, AP says.

Somalia's Islamic extremist group al-Shabab has claimed the responsibility for the blast, according to the rebels' Andalus radio station.

The injured were taken to Mogadishu's Madina Hospital, said Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, the hospital's director.

The massive blast left a trail of destruction across the hilltop presidential complex and to nearby hotels. The bombing tore into blast walls protecting hotels and blew off the roofs of nearby houses.

While al-Shabab has been ousted from most of Somalia's cities, it continues to carry out bombings and suicide attacks, notably in the capital.