Somali President to declare war on al-Shabab after deadly truck blast

Civilians evacuate from the scene of an explosion in KM4 street in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File Photo

Abdi Guled

Somalia's president is to announce a "state of war" against al-Shabab extremists as the death toll from last week's truck bombing in Mogadishu rose to 358, with dozens more people still missing.

The US is expected to play a supporting role in the new offensive which President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed will launch on Saturday.