A Somali general and seven of his bodyguards have been killed when a car laden with explosives rammed into their military vehicle in the capital Mogadishu.
Police Colonel Abdikadir Farah said General Mohamed Roble Jimale and "at least seven of his bodyguards died" in the assault on Sunday.
Abdiaziz Mohamed, a security official, said, "There was a heavy blast caused by a car loaded with explosives alongside the industrial road."
Al-Shabab militants, who are affiliated with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.
Al-Shabab has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Somalia over the past years in an attempt to weaken the government.
On August 30, at least 22 people, including Somali soldiers and civilians, were killed in a powerful bomb explosion near the presidential palace in the capital.
On August 26, ten people were killed in a car bombing claimed by the same militant group at a beach restaurant in the capital.
The African country has been the scene of deadly clashes between government forces and al-Shabab since 2006.
The group has been pushed out of Mogadishu and other major cities by the joint forces of the government and the African Union. However, al-Shabab continues to hit Mogadishu despite setbacks.