al-Shabaab militias have raided offices in the Somali capital Mogadishu, according to eyewitness accounts on Sunday.Witnesses say at least 18 people have been wounded in the attack on offices belonging to the Banadir Regional Government for which Shabaab claimed responsiblity.

There has been no word on fatalities from the incident which left Shabaab gunmen engaged in  gunfight with Somali troops who were spirited to the scene following the raid.

According to witnesses a suicide bomber had detonated his explosive as other Shabaab gunmen stormed the building and exchanged fire with security guards stationed inside. 

Civilians caught up in the crossfire have been rescued from the scene.

Although the insurgents have lost large swathes of territory in southern and central Somalia under their control since 2012, they had retained a capacity to strike Mogadishu and surrounding towns. 

The government said it was waging an ‘all-out war’ to flush the insurgents from their remaining strongholds with the help of a hybrid African Union force.

Somalia has been mired in an internal political strife since the overthrow of long term ruler Siad Barrie in January 1991.