Alcooliks ;x Posted August 17, 2020 Posted August 17, 2020 Somali special forces say they have ended a siege at a hotel in the capital Mogadishu that was stormed by armed al-Shabab militants. At least 11 people were killed at the beachside Elite Hotel, in addition to five militants, according to a government spokesman. The attackers detonated a car bomb outside the hotel on Sunday before storming it and seizing hostages. The recently built hotel is owned by an MP and is po[CENSORED]r with officials. Witnesses said the initial blast was heard across Mogadishu and there was chaos as people fled the area. Security forces sealed off the hotel and exchanged fire with the gunmen inside. Four hours later, government spokesman Ismael Mukhtaar Omar tweeted that the siege was over and all the gunmen had been killed. A senior official from the information ministry and another official from the defence ministry are reported to be among the dead. Dozens more people were reported to be wounded. More than 200 people were rescued from the hotel, according to the government spokesman. Who are al-Shabab? A brief guide to Somalia The privately-owned Somali news website Dhacdoone described the hotel as one of the most heavily guarded facilities in Mogadishu.
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