MOGADISHU, Somalia — At least 14 people were killed on Thursday when the bus they were on was struck by a roadside bomb in a town near Mogadishu, the Somali capital, local officials said.

The bus, carrying about 20 people, was hit as it traveled through the town of Lafoole, about 15 miles from the capital, said the town’s deputy commissioner, Abdisalam Ali Adam. “We confirmed the deaths of 14 people,” he said, adding that at least two more people were wounded in the blast, including the driver.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Lafoole officials said they believed it was the work of Islamist Shabab militants. The group has been carrying out attacks across Somalia for almost a decade. On Saturday, Shabab fighters stormed a hotel in Mogadishu, killing at least six people.

A passenger on a nearby bus, Hassan Muuse, said he saw the aftermath of the blast on Thursday. “We heard a huge explosion as we were traveling from Afgooye town to Mogadishu, and then unfortunately we saw a minibus, which was burning,” he said.

The police have yet to issue a statement on Thursday’s attack.