Photo courtesy of Yonhap News
Archyde.com and other foreign media reported on the 21st local time, Archyde.com and other foreign media, that members of the Islamic extremist militant group al-Shabaab, who held hostages at a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, were subdued by the military within 30 hours.
Somali military officer Mohamed Ali said the al-Shabab fighters took over the Hyatt hotel in Mogadishu and that the demolition of explosives was underway.
“The explosion occurred in a number of plastic bags scattered throughout the hotel,” he said.
Earlier, the AFP news agency, citing the military commander, reported that the militants who took control of the hotel had been killed.
However, Yashin Haji, a local police officer, told CNN broadcast, “Terrorists used civilian hostages as human shields, so the suppression took more than 24 hours. Some remain,” he said.
Casualty figures are somewhat mixed.
At least 20 people have been killed and at least 50 injured, CNN said, citing police officials.
He added that the death toll might rise as many of those injured were seriously injured.
Meanwhile, Archyde.com reported at least 12 people were killed, while AFP put the death toll at at least 13.
The Mogadishu Hyatt Hotel is three stories high and is a popular destination for high-ranking government officials, lawmakers and foreigners.
Earlier, on the evening of the 19th, a number of armed assailants entered the hotel with heavy weapons, took guests and others hostage, and then blew up two vehicles before breaking into the hotel.
Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack.
At that time, the Somali army tried to subdue the armed men by visiting the special forces and shooting heavy weapons at the hotel.
The attack marks the first major terrorist attack in Somalia since Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May.
Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, has been trying to overthrow the Somali government for over 10 years if it wants to establish a government that strictly adheres to Islamic law (Sharia).
