At least two people died and a third was injured in a suspected suicide bombing outside a restaurant in the Somalian capital, Mogadishu.

The blast occurred at the entrance of the Lul Yemeny restaurant after a man was prevented from entering the building, according to police.

At the scene, police spokesman Sadiq Adan Ali said:

"A vigilant security guard for the restaurant stopped the suicide bomber from getting inside the restaurant. The bomber (then) suddenly blew himself up outside of the bar as you can see."

An eye witness said there were two bodies after the attack and that a third person was taken to hospital.

The restaurant, close to Mogadishu port, is popular with security officers and government officials who work in the nearby area. They are regularly targeted by Islamist militants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.