Al-Shabaab Militants Attack Hotel in Somali Capital, Killing at Least 12

Описание: Several al-Shabaab militants attacked a hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Sunday, killing at least 12 people before security forces killed all the assailants, police and witnesses said.

The attack started early Sunday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at the entrance to the Sahafi Hotel, and then several gunmen stormed in the premises, police said.

Two blasts went off at the entrance. The battle between security forces and the militants lasted hours, a witness said.

"I was in my room, and then we heard a very loud explosion. I went out to look, only to see many people running away from the blast that destroyed the mosque area. We ran to safety and hid on the second floor until the Special Forces evacuated us," said Abdihakim Ahmed Guled, an advisor to Somalia's Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke.

Police said that a few politicians were inside the hotel when the attack took place. At least one member of parliament and a former army commander were killed, and some civilians were also among the dead.

More than 50 people were evacuated, most of them politicians, according to security personnel.

"Special Forces managed the entire situation. The terrorists wanted to cause maximum damage, but they were not successful. The Somali Special Forces killed all the attackers who were shooting indiscriminately inside the hotel," said National Security spokesperson Mohamed Yusuf.

The Sahafi Hotel, located in central Mogadishu, is frequented by Somali government officials and business executives.

The attack is considered one of the deadliest in the city in recent weeks.
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