At least five Somali children have been killed playing with an explosive in their school playground.
Around a dozen other youngsters were wounded in the large blast in the town of Balad, which is situated around 20 miles north of the capital Mogadishu.
It is thought the deadly device discovered by the children was left over from fighting in the area.
The explosion happened shortly after the school day started on Monday.
"There was a heavy explosion, we believe caused by an explosive device that they had been playing with," said Abdi Jinow Alasow, governor for the Middle Shabelle region.
"At least five children have died and more than 10 others were injured.
"The death toll could rise as most of the victims have suffered serious injuries."
The town was recently wrested from the control of Al Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents by African Union troops alongside government forces.
"I heard a very loud explosion, and minutes later I saw mothers crying," said Abdifatah Mohamed.
"There were nearly 20 children who were attending the class when the explosion occurred, most of them were either killed or seriously injured," she added.
