Mogadishu, Feb 19 (AP) Police say at least 15 people are dead after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a crowded restaurant during lunch hour in Beledweyne, the capital of Somalia's Hiran region.

The dead were mostly civilians, and 20 other people were wounded, police spokesman Dini Roble Ahmed told The Associated Press by phone.

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The blast caused “huge damage,” he said.

The al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility.

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The explosion comes amid Somalia's long-delayed and often tense election process. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)