SOMALIA HOTEL SIEGE ENTERS SECOND DAY WITH AT LEAST 12 DEATHS

Sat 20  August 2022:

In the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, gunmen with ties to al Qaeda attacked a hotel, leaving at least 12 people dead. Even after 24 hours, the authorities are still working to release the captives held by the extremists.

Al Shabaab insurgents have taken responsibility for the assault. Before starting their shooting, the assailants used two vehicle bombs to enter the Hayat hotel.

“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.

Attack on Mogadishu hotel leaves several injured; Jihadist group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility.

At least 10 people reported killed in the attack claimed by the al-Shabab group, as security forces continue to battle gunmen holed up inside the hotel.#Mogadishu pic.twitter.com/oq6Nik9NAr

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) August 20, 2022

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.

Al-Shabab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past. In August 2020, the group said it was behind a raid on another hotel in Mogadishu, in which at least 16 people were killed.