Mogadishu, Jul 27 (IANS): At least 10 people were killed and several others wounded on Wednesday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Marka town, Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia, a military official said.

Marka District Commissioner Abdullahi Ali Wafow was among those killed in the latest attack, Somali National Army (SNA) officer Abdullahi Ali confirmed.

"The suicide bomber... blew himself up in front of the district headquarters office. The district commissioner is among those killed in the blast," Ali told Xinhua on the phone.

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was targeting regional government officials.

The extremist group still controls some rural areas in southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu, the capital, and elsewhere, Xinhua news agency reported.

Allied forces have intensified military operations into territory formerly controlled by al-Shabab, which was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.