Al-Shabaab kill 10 in hotel raid
A solder at the scene of a car bomb attack and armed raid by Al-Shabaab militants on the Maka al Mukarama hotel in Mogadishu on March 27, 2015. PHOTO | MOHAMED ABDIWAHAB |
What you need to know:
- Gunmen first set off car bomb.
- Somalia ambassador to Switzerland among the dead in attack on capital.
MOGADISHU
At least 10 people have died in an attack by Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants on a hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, Somali security officials said Friday.
“There are at least 10 people killed, including Somalia’s ambassador to Switzerland who was in the hotel,” one of the security sources told AFP.
The source added that Somali government special forces had entered the city centre Maka al Mukarama hotel and were in the process of securing it after several hours of intense fighting.
Another security official said around five gunmen entered the hotel after detonating a car bomb at its rear gate.
“One of them was armed with a very heavy machine gun. Most of the dead are security guards who fought the attackers,” the official, who also asked not to be named, said.
Another official said the attackers were thought to have been killed after more than three hours of fighting.
“All the attackers were killed and the situation is under control. The government’s special forces have managed to penetrate the building and are now in full control,” the official, Mohamed Hassan, said.
He said nine bodies had been counted, mostly of hotel security and guests.
