At least 10 dead in Somalia attack

Suspected militants armed with AK47 rifles have killed at least 10 people in an attack outside Mogadishu.

While no one has yet taken responsibility for the attack about 17 kilometres from the capital, Somali security official Mohamed Hassan blamed the home-grown militant group al-Shabaab.

Hassan and a local government official said at least 10 people had died, many of them women street-sweepers.

A witness described how the gunmen seemed to fire indiscriminately into the street.

"It suddenly turned into carnage; there were pools of blood everywhere," Mohamed Adam said.

Many of the victims were participating in a government programme that allows Somali women to work as street cleaners in exchange for food from local authorities.