Car bomb kills 8 in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 18 (UPI) -- A car bomb exploded in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Monday, killing at least eight people and setting fire to a bus and nearby businesses, officials said.

Police said the blast occurred near the presidential palace and national theater in Mogadishu and apparently was targeting government officials, Voice of America reported.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Despite periodic suicide bombings and kidnappings by militants, Voice of America said, Mogadishu has been returning to normalcy since the militant group al-Shabaab was largely driven out of the city in 2011.