A car laden with explosives has blown up near an army checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four soldiers, according to a Somali security officer.

Soldiers reportedly chased the driver before he detonated the explosives.

"We received information of the car bomb and we pursued it, but he blew up while we were chasing him," the security officer said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion.

In the past, al-Shabab has taken responsibility for blasts and gun attacks in the capital.

The armed group has said that it would launch deadly attacks against Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Somalia's new president, also known as Farmajo.

#UPDATE: Four soldiers wounded after suicide bomber blew himself up near army checkpoint outside #Mogadishu - Witness #Somalia pic.twitter.com/md5wH58h6C — Live From Somalia (@Tuuryare_Africa) February 27, 2017

Al-Shabab earlier this week denounced Mohamed's election, calling him an apostate.

The new president, who was inaugurated on Wednesday , has promised to make security a priority.

On Sunday, a car bomb in the capital killed at least 39 people .

Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) have also emerged in Somalia.</s>Nov 7 At least one person was killed on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated in the car park of the country's parliament building in the capital Mogadishu, police said.

The explosion went off while the country's new legislators were holding a session inside.

General Mohamed Abdulle told Reuters the car full of explosives was parked among those owned by Somali parliamentarians, and a Somali soldier was killed in the blast.

"It exploded and one military soldier died. There are no other casualties but there is damage to the cars," he said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, though Mogadishu has been frequently targeted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab, who are fighting Somali government forces and African Union soldiers across the country.

Since al Shabaab withdrew from the capital in August last year, it has increasingly turned to suicide bombers and grenade attacks to target government and African Union positions.

Two suicide bombers attacked a restaurant in the Somali capital on Saturday, killing a security guard who stopped them entering the building.

It was not clear who was behind the bombings but Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents have conducted similar previous attacks and remain a serious security challenge even after being forced out of their strongholds. (Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by James Macharia)</s>The explosion went off while the country's new legislators were holding a session inside.

General Mohamed Abdulle told Reuters the car full of explosives was parked among those owned by Somali parliamentarians, and a Somali soldier was killed in the blast.

"It exploded and one military soldier died. There are no other casualties but there is damage to the cars," he said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, though Mogadishu has been frequently targeted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab, who are fighting Somali government forces and African Union soldiers across the country.

Since al Shabaab withdrew from the capital in August last year, it has increasingly turned to suicide bombers and grenade attacks to target government and African Union positions.

Two suicide bombers attacked a restaurant in the Somali capital on Saturday, killing a security guard who stopped them entering the building.

It was not clear who was behind the bombings but Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents have conducted similar previous attacks and remain a serious security challenge even after being forced out of their strongholds.</s>Officials in Somalia say an explosion from improvised explosive device planted in a car killed one person in the capital, Mogadishu, early Tuesday.

A security source said the unidentified victim was apparently traveling to work in the car. Several others were reportedly injured in the blast.

The car exploded in the Waberi district just north of Mogadishu airport.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, but explosions and assassinations in Somalia are often claimed bythe Al-Shabab militant group.

On Monday, four Somali soldiers were wounded after a car they were chasing exploded at a checkpoint near Mogadishu.

Occupants in the car were reportedly involved in an attempted assassination of a civil servant. During the chase, gunmen in the car fired on police, seriously wounding an officer.

Tuesday's attack comes as a high-level meeting began at Mogadishu airport attended by Somalileaders and international community members.

The aim of the meeting is to take steps to avert possible famine in the country.

President Mohamed Abdillahi Farmajo told the meeting that preparing for the droughts will a main priory for his government.</s>Explosion hits close to army checkpoint after al-Shabab threatens attacks against new president, Mohamed Abdullahi.

A car laden with explosives has blown up near an army checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four soldiers, according to a Somali security officer.

Soldiers reportedly chased the driver before he detonated the explosives.

"We received information of the car bomb and we pursued it, but he blew up while we were chasing him," the security officer said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion.

In the past, al-Shabab has taken responsibility for blasts and gun attacks in the capital.

The armed group has said that it would launch deadly attacks against Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Somalia’s new president, also known as Farmajo.

Al-Shabab earlier this week denounced Mohamed's election, calling him an apostate.

The new president, who was inaugurated on Wednesday, has promised to make security a priority.

On Sunday, a car bomb in the capital killed at least 39 people .

Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) have also emerged in Somalia.</s>MOGADISHU, Feb 27 (Reuters) - A car bomb went off in the Somali capital on Monday, wounding three people, a Reuters witness said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the explosion. In the past, al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has taken responsibility for blasts and gun attacks in the capital.

Al Shabaab has been able to carry out increasingly deadly bombings despite losing most of its territory to African Union peacekeepers supporting the Somali government. (Reporting by Abdirahman Hussein; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Catherine Evans)
A car bomb explodes near a checkpoint outside Mogadishu, wounding at least four Somali soldiers.