Mogadishu | At least five civilians have died and ten have been injured in the attack by radical Islamist Shebab on Sunday at a hotel in central Mogadishu, the Somali police spokesman said.
On Sunday afternoon, a car bomb exploded in front of the Afrik Hotel, located near the airport, then armed men entered the building, exchanging gunshots with security personnel.
The siege of the hotel continued until around midnight, with Somali armed forces fighting against the four assailants, “holed up” in a room in the main building, and rescuing guests.
“Among the dead we have five civilians and the snipers – three of them were killed and one blew himself up. The death toll may be higher and some of the injured may die, ”police spokesperson Sadik Dudishe said shortly after midnight at a press conference.
He added that 10 people were injured.
The information ministry said in a statement that one of the victims is General Mohamed Nur Galal, a former senior military official, well known in Somalia.
A previous assessment made Sunday evening 3 dead and 6 wounded.
“I have never witnessed such a level of devastation. We found the body of my colleague in front of his room, but I don’t know if they killed him or if he was hit by a grenade, ”Ali Ato, a witness, told AFP.
The Afrik Hotel, located near KM4, a busy intersection in central Mogadishu, is particularly popular with Somali officials, members of the security forces and community leaders.
The attack started around 5 p.m., police said, and continued for about six hours.
The Shebabs quickly claimed it in a brief statement.
“The mujahideen are taking part in an ongoing operation inside the Afrik hotel, where members of the apostates are posted,” they said on Sunday on a pro-shebab website.
The Shebabs controlled Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia plunged into chaos for 30 years, before being ousted in 2011 by African Union (AU) troops who support the fragile federal government. They still control large rural areas from which they operate.
Somalia was due to hold presidential and legislative elections before February 8, but that process became mired in disagreements between the government, backed by the international community, and Somali regional states.