Somali’s security officials on Friday said at least 12 people were killed after al-Shabab militants attacked a hotel in Mogadishu, following two car bomb blasts and gunfire, reported The France 24.
According to the police, the attackers detonated two explosives outside the hotel before entering the building, opening fire and seizing control. They were reported to be holed up on the top floor of the Hayat hotel, hours after the attack began.
“So far we have confirmed 12 people, mostly civilians, died,” Mohammed, an intelligence officer told Reuters.
He said the operation was still going on but is expected to conclude soon. It was unclear how many gunmen remained inside the hotel.
The al-Shabab group claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the first since the election of Somalia’s new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in May.
Al-Shabab has been fighting to topple Somali’s government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The militant group controls much of southern and central Somalia but has been able to extend its influence into areas controlled by the government based in Mogadishu. In recent weeks fighters affiliated with the group have also attacked targets along the Somalia-Ethiopia border.
Earlier this month, Somalian Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre named the country’s new cabinet after consultation with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
The new cabinet list included the name of Mukhtar Robow, a former deputy leader and spokesman for the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, as religion minister. It is feared that the big move could either help strengthen the fight against the insurgency or provoke clan clashes.
Notably, the Horn of Africa is already facing a severe drought that has left about 7.1 million Somalis, nearly half the population, battling hunger, with more than 200,000 on the brink of starvation, according to UN figures.
