Several gunman attacked a beachfront restaurant in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday, prompting an exchange of fire with the security forces, an AFP correspondent said. 

The incident began when a nearby car exploded, after which the gunmen ran into the restaurant, a popular eatery near Lido beach. Somali security forces at the scene then exchanged fire with the gunmen who were holed up inside, the correspondent said.