Death Toll From Somalia Blasts Rises to 45: Government Official

A security officer from Doorbin Hotel assesses the debris after a suicide car explosion in front of the hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia Feb. 24, 2018. Reuters/Feisal Omar

MOGADISHU—The death toll from twin car bomb blasts in the Somali capital late on Friday has risen to 45 from the initially reported 18, a senior government official said on Saturday.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack near the president’s residence and a hotel close by.