A man walks past an ambulance and armed security forces at the scene of an attack outside an hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia June 14, 2017. Photo: REUTERS

MOGADISHU: A suicide car bombing and assault by Shabaab militants on two neighbouring restaurants in Somalia´s capital Mogadishu ended Thursday morning with 18 dead, a government spokesman said.

"The operation is over now and the gunmen were killed by the security forces," said Mohamed Ahmed Arab, spokesman for Somalia´s security ministry.

"They have attacked business places and killed innocent civilians: 18 civilians were killed, including a Syrian national, and more than 10 others were wounded," he said.

The attack began at around 8pm (17.00GMT) on Wednesday evening with a suicide car bombing at the Post Treats restaurant and club, after which gunmen stormed inside the nearby Pizza House restaurant.

Both venues are popular with affluent, young and diaspora Somalis and were busy as customers broke the Ramadan fast.

The gunmen spent the night roaming the restaurant killing those they found trapped before they were eventually killed by the security forces.