Mogadishu, March 18 (QNA) - Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's convoy was hit by a landmine explosion on Tuesday near the Presidential Palace in central Mogadishu.

Somali police sources reported the attack caused material damage to nearby buildings and that the police imposed a security cordon around the area.

For its part, the Al Shabaab armed movement, linked to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the explosion, on a Telegram post.

Sheikh Mohamud was heading to the frontlines of the ongoing offensive against Al Shabaab militants, conducted by the army in cooperation with locals. (QNA)