Death toll in Somalia twin car bombings rises to at least 20, says doctor

A doctor says the death toll in a pair of suicide car bombings in Somalia early Wednesday has risen to at least 20, including nine members of the same family.

Dr. Yahye Abdi with the hospital in Mahaas district told The Associated Press that more than 50 people were admitted for treatment after the explosions.

Police have said the attackers targeted a military facility in the Hiran region, which is at the heart of the government's offensive against al-Shabab extremists. The attack occurred after the dawn prayer.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mahaas is at the centre of the ongoing offensive against al-Shabab, the al-Qaida-linked group of thousands of fighters that has controlled parts of central and southern Somalia for years. The government has vowed to defeat it this year.