Somali forces have ended a siege at a hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, an army officer confirmed on Sunday, adding that they were still clearing explosives scattered around the building.
At least 20 people, mostly civilians, were killed as Somalia’s elite armed forces battled al Qaeda-linked militants for 30 hours after they blasted and shot their way into the Hayat Hotel on Friday evening. The hotel which was attacked is popular with lawmakers and other government officials.
The attack started with explosions outside the hotel before gunmen entered, the Associated Press reported. About 40 people were wounded, some critically, and admitted to the hospital.
Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, a member of Somalia’s federal parliament, told Bloomberg that 11 members of his immediate family died from the attack. Abdulkadir Mohamud, owner of the Hayat hotel, said nine other people, including two of his brothers, died in the attack.
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"We are still investigating the explosions of many plastic bags that have been scattered around the hotel," said Mohamed Ali, a military officer at the scene.
The French news agency Agence France-Presse earlier reported that all the gunmen had been killed, citing a security commander.
Friday’s attack was the first such major incident since president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Al-Shabaab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law. – Reuters, agencies