An ongoing attack by a Somali jihadist faction on a hotel in Mogadishu has left at least 10 people dead, local officials say Read Full Article at RT.com
At least 10 people killed in an ongoing raid on a hotel in Mogadishu
An attack on a popular hotel in the Somali capital has left several people dead, according to police and witnesses, with a rebel militia group detonating explosives outside before gunmen stormed the building. A gun battle with security forces is ongoing as of Saturday morning.
The assault on the upscale Hayat hotel in Mogadishu kicked off late on Friday and was soon claimed by al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda linked jihadist group based in Somalia. After blasting their way into the building, armed fighters then ran inside and have continued a shootout with police since.
“A huge blast went off a few minutes before the gunmen forced their way into the hotel,” security official Abdukadir Hassan told AFP, adding that “the security forces are now engaging with the enemy who are holed up inside the building.”
Intermittent gunfire has been heard at #HayatHotel in #Mogadishu within the last few minutes. Security forces still battling Al-Shabaab militants. It’s not yet clear how many militants have barricaded themselves in the top floor of the hotel. #Somaliapic.twitter.com/UorJ0zqdX1
While many details about the attack remain unclear, police and eyewitnesses cited by the Associated Press said at least 10 civilians had been killed thus far. No victims have yet been identified by the government.
Al Shabab militant group claims responsibility for an ongoing bomb attack at #Hayathotel in #Mogadishu. Many people are trapped.
Two senior security officials wounded in the attack.
Another Somalia official cited by AFP, Mohamed Abdikadir, noted that police had “rescued dozens of civilians including children who were trapped in the building.” How many people were inside the hotel at the time of the attack has not been clarified, nor the number that currently remain there.
Shots could still be heard ringing out around the hotel early on Saturday, with security forces saying they are attempting to contain the last remaining gunmen. It is also unknown how many entered the building or are still inside, however.
Formed in 2006 in the wake of years of civil war in Somalia, al-Shabaab has grown increasingly radical over the years, and in 2012 pledged an oath of allegiance to the infamous al-Qaeda terrorist cell. The United States has repeatedly targeted the group with airstrikes, and has cited the faction as a major reason for America’s on-off troop presence in the country.
Though former President Donald Trump previously ordered all US soldiers to leave Somalia, he did not completely end operations there, with troops continuing to “commute” to the country for missions. President Joe Biden recently reversed that decision and redeployed several hundred soldiers, however, and the Pentagon has declared the need for a “persistent US military presence in Somalia to enable a more effective fight against al-Shabaab.”
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