At least 14 people were killed in coordinated car bombings followed by an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, a security official said.
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By AFP
10 mins ago in World
At least 14 people were killed in coordinated car bombings followed by an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, a security official said.
“About 14 people, most of them civilians, were confirmed dead so far and the security forces are still working to ensure the area is clear,” said security official Mohamed Moalim Adan.
“Sporadic gunfire” was continuing with at least two gunmen from the Shabaab Islamist group believed to be inside the Nasa Hablod Hotel 2, he added.
One senior police official and a former MP are among the dead.
The attack comes two weeks after a massive truck bomb exploded in central Mogadishu, killing at least 358 people, making it the deadliest attack in the troubled country’s history.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab claimed Saturday’s bombings in a statement on its Andalus radio station, saying its fighters had forced their way into the hotel.
“The Mujahedeen fighters are inside Nasa Hablod 2 hotel where… apostate officials are staying,” it said.
