Somali forces battle to end deadly hotel siege in Mogadishu
At least 10 people were reported dead after gunmen stormed a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, following two car bomb blasts and gunfire, officials and local media have said.
Gunmen stormed the Hayat Hotel, which is known to be frequented by government officials, on Friday evening in a hail of gunfire and bomb blasts.
The al-Shabab armed group claimed responsibility for the attack – the first since the election of Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in May.
Hussein Mohamed, a freelance journalist reporting from outside the hotel in Mogadishu, told Al Jazeera on Saturday that gunfire could still be heard coming from inside the building, and the attackers and government security forces sent to retake the hotel appeared to be at an impasse.
At least 10 people have been killed in the attack on the hotel, which was very popular with politicians, Mohamed said by telephone from the Somali capital.
“Al-Shabab already claimed responsibility for the attack saying they held hostage several politicians. They did not mention the names of the officials, but the group often carries out such attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and many parts of the country,” Mohamed told Al Jazeera.
The attack comes as government forces have stepped up operations against al-Shabab, and as Somalia’s President Mohamud has promised to eliminate the armed group, Mohamed said. The al-Shabab leadership has also promised to topple Mohamud’s government, he added.
Security official Mohamed Abdikadir told the AFP news agency on Saturday that dozens of civilians, including children, who were trapped in the building had been rescued.
“The security forces continued to neutralise terrorists who have been cordoned inside a room in the hotel building, most of the people were rescued but at least eight civilians were confirmed dead so far,” he said.
Aljazeera
