Somalia: Attack On Somali Hotel Leaves ‘Several’ Dead

Monrovia — Al-Shabaab militants have attacked a hotel in central Somalia, just as government officials and local elders met there to discuss action against the terrorist group, Al-jazeera reported. The assailants detonated a car bomb before engaging in a firefight with security forces manning the building.

The Islamist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it resulted in the deaths of ten people. The death toll has not been independently verified. A witness reportedly said that many of those in attendance at the meeting were rescued.

“It will be necessary to bring in forces with heavy weaponry to neutralize the situation,” the BBC quotes a Somali lawmaker as saying, as the shootout continued.

Parts of the Cairo Hotel – which was attacked by the gunmen – have been destroyed. It is situated in the city of Beledweyne, near the country’s border with Ethiopia.

The Somali government has been actively battling Al-Shabaab for many years. The group, linked to Al-Qaeda, has used suicide bombings, assassinations and ambushes as part of its campaign to establish an Islamic state in the country