The security forces in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu said they ended a deadly attack by the Islamist Shebab militia on a hotel following around 30 hours. “The security forces have now ended the siege and the attackers are dead,” a senior commander told AFP on the night.
“There have been no more shots from the building in the last hour,” said the commander, who wished to remain anonymous. He did not provide information on the number of civilian casualties in the attack on the Hayat Hotel or the number of al-Shebab militia attackers killed. He announced a government press conference for this morning.
The hotel was destroyed when the security forces tried to eliminate the fighters entrenched in it with targeted attacks. It must now be examined for explosives that may have been deposited by the attackers, the representative of the security forces explained.
The number of civilian casualties had previously been given as at least 13.