A suicide bomber rammed a truck rigged with explosives into the outer wall of one of Mogadishu's most secure hotels, severely damaging the building and killing eight people, police said.
The attack was claimed by the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab group and also wounded 20 people.
In a statement, Al-Shabab said the attack was in retaliation for the deaths of dozens of civilians at the hands of Ethiopian forces, which are part of the AU force, and that the hotel was targeted because it hosts "Western" embassies coordinating the offensive.