Mogadishu (AFP) - Two car bombs exploded Saturday in Mogadishu targeting the Ministry of Education, causing "victims" and causing severe damage to surrounding buildings, according to police and witnesses.

"The two simultaneous explosions" occurred on a road parallel to the ministry's headquarters, said Sadiq Dudish, a spokesman for the Somali police, and left "many victims," adding, "We will give more details later."

For his part, the policeman, Ibrahim Muhammad, said that one of the two booby-trapped cars succeeded in entering the ministry's campus, and that was followed by the firing of gunshots.

"A few minutes later, another explosion occurred in the same area," he added.

The witness, Abd al-Rahman Issa, said that a large number of people were present on the road parallel to the ministry building when the first explosion occurred.

Another witness, Aminu Salad, said, "I saw heavy smoke in the vicinity of the ministry and severe damage."

No party has claimed the attack yet, but the Somali authorities usually attribute similar attacks to the extremist Islamic youth movement, which is still carrying out attacks in the capital and major Somali cities.