At least four people were killed in a nighttime attack by suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists on a popular hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. According to local security officials, attempts to oust the attackers are ongoing.
Sporadic gunshots and explosions were heard after dawn near the Villa Rose, which is located near the presidential palace in a tightly guarded district of Mogadishu and is frequented by parliamentarians and other figures.
“The terrorist gunmen are trapped inside a room in the building and the security forces are about to end the siege very soon. So far we have confirmed the death of four people,” security official Mohamed Dahir said.
“Several other people were wounded including government officials,” he added.
Witnesses described two massive explosions followed by shootings, which caused many to escape the Bondhere neighbourhood. The hotel is only a few blocks away from Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s office.
All routes leading to the hotel have been cordoned off by security forces, according to witnesses.
Al-Shabaab, a militant group affiliated with Al-Qaeda that has been trying to overthrow Somalia’s central government for 15 years, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The militants have intensified attacks against civilian and military targets as Somalia’s recently-elected government has pursued a policy of “all-out war” against the Islamists.
Rfi