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Blast, gunfire heard near presidential palace in Somali capital


    MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A loud explosion was heard near the centre of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Friday, followed by prolonged heavy bursts of gunfire, a Reuters witness said.

    The city has been hit by a series of suicide bomb attacks in the past few weeks, claimed by al Qaeda-linked militants, al Shabaab, who were pushed out of the city about two years ago but have waged a sustained guerrilla campaign.

    (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Alison Williams)