Status: 11/28/2022 6:19 p.m
Somali security forces stormed a Mogadishu hotel occupied by Islamists. All six attackers from the al-Shabaab militia were killed, police said. Eight civilians are also said to have died.
The Somali police said they stormed a hotel occupied by Islamists in the capital Mogadishu and killed the hostage-takers. More than 12 hours after the al-Shabaab militants entered, shots were heard from the building. A police spokesman said the operation was complete.
More than 60 people saved
The Islamists killed eight civilians and one soldier from a special unit. The six intruders are now also dead: one blew himself up and five were shot dead by security forces.
More than 60 people were rescued from the hotel, according to police. No further information was given about the injuries. Somali Security Minister Ahmed Mohamed Doodishe was among the injured, police said on Sunday.
Hotel stormed during prayer time
Heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters stormed the Hotel Villa Rosa, to which only politicians, selected business people and high-ranking state guests have access, on Sunday evening during prayer time. The building is near the Presidential Palace.
The terrorist militia, which has close ties to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack came two days after a large-scale military operation by Somali government troops in the center of the country, in which the government said 100 al-Shabaab members were killed.
Somalia, a country in the Horn of Africa with around 16 million inhabitants, has been rocked by attacks and violence for years. The government in Mogadishu has been conducting a military offensive against Al-Shabaab for several months.