Car bomb explosion hits Somali hotel, militants claim responsibility
A car bomb explosion has hit a hotel in the center of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, causing an unknown number of casualties.
The Somalia-based al-Shabab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack which took place at Afrik hotel, near Mogadishu’s strategic K-4 junction on Sunday afternoon.
Police said a vehicle loaded with explosives crashed into the entrance gate of the hotel, which was followed by a shootout between a number of armed gunmen and security forces.
Heavy gunfire could be heard, police said, adding that many people were rescued from the hotel.
“There must be casualties because the militants first started the attack with a suicide car bomb against the wall,” police spokesman Sadik Ali said. “The operation still goes on, casualties will be known later.”
“We know, they have changed nothing from their usual tactic, ramming explosives into a building and following up, assaulting with rifles,” he said.
Security forces immediately cordoned off the site of the attack.
There was no immediate word from Somali officials or the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, which supports the government against the al-Shabab terrorist group.
In a separate incident on Sunday, at least eight children were killed and 11 others were injured when a mortar shell exploded in a town near Mogadishu.
Osman Nur, chairman of Shalambood, a town 90 km (56 miles) from Mogadishu, said the children were aged between 4 to 12.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants have been waging an insurgency for more than a decade in Somalia.
Despite being ousted from large parts of south and central Somalia, al-Shabab continues deadly attacks across the country, which has been ravaged by decades of war and poverty.
The militant group aims to oust the government in Mogadishu and drive out African Union peacekeeping troops. It has been carrying out militancy since 2006.
Al-Shabaab militants have fought successive Somali governments as well as neighboring governments in Uganda and Kenya, the latter of which sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the group as part of the African Union forces.
Somalia has faced instability and violence since 1991, when the military government was overthrown.
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