Bomb blasts and gunfire as at least 13 people killed in Somalia
A suicide car bomb exploded outside a popular hotel in Somalia's capital on Saturday, killing at least 13 people and wounding more than 16, and gunfire continued inside as security forces pursued the attackers, police said.
Two more blasts were heard in the area, one when an attacker detonated a suicide vest.
Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone from the scene, Captain Mohamed Hussein said security forces were battling extremists who were on the top floor of the Nasa-Hablod hotel, which is close to the presidential palace and is frequented by politicians and other members of Mogadishu's elite.
The attackers hurled grenades and cut off the building's electricity as night fell.
Saturday's blasts came two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive lorry bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack.
Al Shabab, Africa's deadliest Islamic extremist group, quickly claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack and said its fighters were inside the hotel.
As night fell, sporadic gunfire could be heard as soldiers responded.
A senior Somali police colonel and a former lawmaker were among the dead, Capt Hussein said.
Mohamed Dek Haji said he survived the bombing as he walked beside a parked car that was largely destroyed by the explosion.
He said he saw at least three armed men in military uniforms running toward the hotel after the suicide bombing at its gate.
"I think they were al Shabab fighters who were trying to storm the hotel," he said, lying on a hospital bed.
He suffered small injuries on his shoulder and skull from flying glass.
Witnesses in some previous attacks have said al Shabab fighters disguised themselves by wearing military uniforms.
Al Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu.
It has not commented on the massive attack two weeks ago; experts have said the death toll was so high that the group hesitated to further anger Somali citizens as its pursues its insurgency.
Since the blast two weeks ago, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has visited regional countries to seek more support for the fight against the extremist group, vowing a "state of war".
He also faces the challenge of pulling together regional powers inside his long-fractured country, where the federal government is only now trying to assert itself beyond Mogadishu and other major cities.
A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw its forces and hand over the country's security to the Somali military by the end of 2020.
US military officials and others in recent months have expressed concern that Somali forces are not yet ready.
The US military also has stepped up military efforts against al Shabab this year in Somalia, carrying out nearly 20 drone strikes, as the global war on extremism moves deeper into the African continent.
AP
At least 10 people are dead and more than 11 have been wounded in an attack on a popular hotel in Somalia's capital.
Captain Mohamed Hussein said the death toll could rise.
The al Shabab extremist group has quickly claimed responsibility for the suicide car bomb that detonated outside the Nasa-Hablod hotel, which is frequented by politicians and other members of Mogadishu's elite.
A popular Somali Hotel Naasa-Hablood in Mogadishu is under attack. #Somalia pic.twitter.com/3NrhMckTS2
— Mohamed Abdisalan (@MohaSalan) October 28, 2017
The group also claims that its fighters are inside the hotel, where gunfire could still be heard.
The blast comes two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive lorry bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack.
Al Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu.
Since the blast two weeks ago, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has been visiting regional countries to seek more support for the fight against the extremist group.
A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw its forces and hand over the country's security to the Somali military by the end of 2020.
The US military also has stepped up military efforts against al Shabab this year in Somalia, carrying out nearly 20 drone strikes.
A suspected suicide car bomb exploded outside a popular hotel in Somalia's capital, killing at least two people and wounding more than eight, while gunfire could be heard inside, police said.
A second blast could be heard in the area minutes later.
Captain Mohamed Hussein said the gunfire could still be heard inside the Nasa-Hablod hotel, which is close to the presidential palace and is frequented by politicians and other members of Mogadishu's elite.
Today's blasts came two weeks after more than 350 people were killed in a massive lorry bombing on a busy Mogadishu street in the country's worst-ever attack.
The extremist group al-Shabab often targets high-profile areas of Mogadishu.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Since the blast two weeks ago, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has been visiting regional countries to seek more support for the fight against the extremist group.
A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force in Somalia is expected to withdraw its forces and hand over the country's security to the Somali military by the end of 2020.
The US military also has stepped up military efforts against al Shabab this year in Somalia, carrying out nearly 20 drone strikes.
