At least 12 people were dead in an attack by al Qaeda-linked militants on a hotel in Somalian capital Mogadishu. The militants have hostages and even after 24 hours, the authorities are battling to free them. Insurgents from al Shabaab have claimed responsibility for the attack. The attackers entered Hayat hotel making use of two car bombs before opening fire.
“So far we have confirmed 12 people, mostly civilians, died,” Mohammed, an intelligence officer who only gave one name, told Reuters.
Mohammed said that unknown number of people were held hostage on the second floor of the building. This has prevented authorities from using heavy weapons.
They had also bombed out the stairs to make it harder to access certain floors, he said.
The siege entered its second day on Saturday evening. Authorities have till now secured 95 per cent of the building as reported by Somali National Television. The broadcaster did not give an updated number of casualties.
Those battling the militants inside the hotel include Gaashan, a paramilitary force specialising in counter-insurgency, a senior official told Reuters.
The detonations sent huge plumes of smoke over the busy junction on Friday night, and the sound of gunfire still crackled across the capital on Saturday evening.
Explosions were heard on Friday night as government forces tried to wrest control of the hotel back from the militants, witnesses said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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