MOGADISHU – Islamist militants rammed a car bomb into the gate of a hotel in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, jumped clear and stormed inside on Wednesday, killing 28 people, government and medical officials said.

Gunfire rang out as four militants burst into the Dayah Hotel, which is popular with politicians. A second explosion shook the area shortly afterwards, injuring several journalists and other people nearby.

“Well-armed mujahideen (militants) attacked the hotel and now they are fighting inside the hotel,” said an announcer on Andalus radio, which is linked to the al Shabaab jihadist group. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.

Security forces eventually shot dead all four militants and managed to secure the building, according to Abdifatah Omar, the Mogadishu municipality spokesman. Government websites confirmed this, quoting the security minister.

“We have confirmed 28 people died and 43 others injured in the two blasts at the hotel,” Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of the Mogadishu’s ambulance services, told Reuters.

Duniye Mohamed, a doctor at Madina hospital, had earlier said some of the people taken there were very seriously wounded. Security Minister Abdirizak Umar had earlier put the death toll at 15, including four security personnel.

The secondary explosion sent a plume of flame high up over the hotel and several buildings and cars in the vicinity were destroyed.

Until 2011, al Shabaab controlled much of the Horn of Africa country including Mogadishu. Its militants often stage bomb and gun attacks in the capital in their quest to topple the Western-backed government and impose their own strict interpretation of sharia (Islamic law) on the nation.

In the past two years, African Union and Somali government forces have driven al Shabaab out of important urban strongholds but it remains active from bases in rural areas.

Somalia swore in nearly 300 members of parliament last month and they are due to pick the president but that vote has repeatedly been postponed. It is now due to be held on February 8, said a parliamentary official who did not wish to be named.</s>At least 28 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a coordinated gun-and-bomb attack carried out by al-Shabab at a popular hotel in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, according to officials.

The assault on Wednesday morning began when attackers rammed an explosives-packed car into the gate of Dayah Hotel, which is near Somalia's parliament in central Mogadishu, and then stormed inside exchanging gunfire with security guards.

A second massive car bomb blast went off after ambulances and journalists had arrived at the scene, leaving at least four reporters wounded, according to AFP news agency.

"We have confirmed 28 people died and 43 others were injured in the two blasts at the hotel," Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of the capital's ambulance services, told Reuters news agency.

Security Minister Abdirizak Umar told reporters at the scene that 51 people were wounded in the two blasts at the hotel.

Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya, said a freelance journalist working for Al Jazeera Arabic was among those wounded.

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Colonel Abdiqadir Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters that security forces eventually managed to secure the building.

"We have rescued the people and concluded the operation at Dayah Hotel."

Witnesses said the powerful explosions caused extensive damage in the area near the hotel, shattering dozens of windows and damaging parked cars.

"All the neighbouring houses have been destroyed," Yusuf Hassan, editor of Somali newspaper Haqiqa Times, told Al Jazeera from the scene.

"I see people crying because they have lost their relatives," he added.

"It is really a big tragedy."

Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a report by Andalus radio, which is linked to the armed group.

"Well-armed mujahideen [fighters] attacked the hotel and now they are fighting inside the hotel," the report said.

Dozens of people, including members of Somalia's parliament, were thought to have been in the hotel at the time of the attack, Captain Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press news agency.

The hotel is popular with politicians, government officials and entrepreneurs.

Al-Shabab has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Somalia to try to topple the country's western-backed government.

In June, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on the Nasa Hablod hotel, which killed at least 15 people.</s>Mogadishu (AFP) - Twenty-eight people were killed Wednesday when Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a popular Mogadishu hotel, setting off two car bombs and opening fire on security guards, according to the city's main ambulance service.

The attack, claimed by the Al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab insurgents, began when a car loaded with explosives rammed the gate of the Dayah Hotel near the Somali parliament and state house.

Security sources said at least four gunmen then entered the compound and exchanged fire with security guards, but they were shot dead before reaching the main building where guests were staying. They were not counted among the 28 dead.

A second massive blast went off after ambulances and journalists had already rushed to the scene, leaving seven reporters with minor injuries, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

They included an AFP photographer who suffered shrapnel wounds to his shoulder and leg, an Associated Press photographer and a reporter working with Al-Jazeera television.

"The number of casualties we have recorded today is 28 dead and 43 wounded. This is what we have confirmed with our teams but there were also other ambulances which carried some casualties (but) I don't know how many," said Dr Abukadir Abdirahman Adem, head of the ambulance service.

Somalia's Security Minister Abdirisak Omar Mohamed told reporters there were 10 people killed and 51 wounded in the attack.

"We commend the security guards of the hotel who fiercely fought the Shabaab attackers to defend the hotel," he said.

AFP images showed security forces and civilians milling about outside the devastated hotel -- its windows and doors blown out -- after the first explosion, when a second car exploded with a massive blast, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air and sending people fleeing.

Gunfire rang out from the hotel as civilians and rescue workers carried away the injured.

The Shabaab group claimed responsibility in a statement distributed on its Telegram messaging account.

"The mujahideen fighters have attacked a hotel and have managed to enter the hotel after detonating a car loaded with explosives," it said.

Story continues

The Shabaab is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government of Somalia and regularly stages deadly attacks on state, military and civilian targets in the capital and elsewhere in the war-torn country.

- Election date set -

The attack -- the deadliest so far in Somalia in 2017 -- came shortly before the country's election commission announced that a long-awaited presidential vote would take place on February 8.

The date has been pushed back numerous times amid delays in a vote for lawmakers, who were finally sworn in in late December.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre's military regime, which ushered in more than two decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.

The clan rivalries and lawlessness provided fertile ground for the Shabaab to take hold and seize territory, frustrating efforts to set up a central administration.

After a series of transitional governments were formed abroad, a previous parliament was chosen by 135 clan elders and set up in Mogadishu in 2012.

Somalis were promised a one-person, one-vote election in 2016.

But political infighting and ongoing insecurity due to the presence of Shabaab meant Somalis were handed a "limited" election, in which 14,025 specially picked delegates voted for 275 parliamentary seats distributed according to clan.

Another 72 seats in a new upper house were shared out according to region.

The 2016 process is seen as taking the country a step closer to a universal suffrage election now planned for 2020.</s>Mogadishu. At least seven people were killed after two car bombs exploded outside a popular Mogadishu hotel Wednesday, and gunmen forced their way inside the building and opened fire, police said.

The attack, claimed by the Al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab insurgent group, began when a car loaded with explosives rammed the gate of the Dayah Hotel near the Somali parliament and state house.

Gunmen then stormed the hotel and exchanged fire with security guards, according to police official Ibrahim Mohammed.

A second massive blast went off after ambulances and journalists had already rushed to the scene, leaving at least four reporters injured, including an AFP photographer who suffered shrapnel wounds to his shoulder and leg.

AFP images showed security forces and civilians milling about outside the devastated hotel -- its windows and doors blown out -- after the first explosion, when a second car exploded with a massive blast, sending thick plumes of smoke into the air and sending people fleeing.

Gunfire rang out from the hotel as civilians and rescue workers carried away the injured.

“So far we have counted about seven dead, most of them civilians and security guards. There are also many people who were wounded in the two blasts,” said Mohammed. “Two gunmen were killed and the area is under control of security forces,” he said.

“The mujahideen fighters have attacked a hotel and have managed to enter the hotel after detonating a car loaded with explosives,” it said.

The Shabaab is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government of Somalia and regularly stages deadly attacks on state, military and civilian targets in the capital and elsewhere in the war-torn country. The hotel attack is the deadliest so far in Somalia in 2017 and comes as the country is in the midst of a drawn-out election process to choose a new government.

In December 2016, more than 20 people were killed when a truck laden with explosives was detonated near a military base close to the Mogadishu port.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre’s military regime which ushered in decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.

The clan rivalries and lawlessness provided fertile ground for the Shabaab to take hold and seize territory, frustrating efforts to set up a central administration. (AFP)</s>At least seven people were killed after two car bombs exploded outside a popular Mogadishu hotel Wednesday, and gunmen forced their way inside the building and opened fire, police said.

The attack, claimed by the Al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab insurgent group, began when a car loaded with explosives rammed the gate of the Dayah Hotel near the Somali parliament and state house.

Gunmen then stormed the hotel and exchanged fire with security guards, according to police official Ibrahim Mohammed.

A second massive blast went off after ambulances and journalists had already rushed to the scene, leaving at least four reporters injured, including an AFP photographer who received shrapnel wounds to his shoulder and leg.

"So far we have counted about seven dead, most of them civilians and security guards. There are also many people who were wounded in the two blasts," said Mohammed.

"Two gunmen were killed and the area is under control of security forces," he said.

The Shabaab group claimed responsibility in a statement distributed on its Telegram messaging account.

"The mujahideen fighters have attacked a hotel and have managed to enter the hotel after detonating a car loaded with explosives," read the statement.

The Shabaab is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government of Somalia and regularly stages deadly attacks on state, military and civilian targets in the capital and elsewhere in the war-torn country.

- 'Limited' election -There has been an uptick in attacks on Mogadishu during a drawn-out process to elect a new government.

The hotel attack is the deadliest so far in 2017.

In December 2016 more than 20 people were killed when a truck laden with explosives was detonated near a military base close to the Mogadishu port.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre's military regime which ushered in decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.

The clan rivalries and lawlessness provided fertile ground for the Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab to take hold and seize territory, frustrating efforts to set up a central administration.

After a series of transitional governments were formed abroad, a previous parliament was chosen by 135 clan elders and set up in Mogadishu in 2012.

But political infighting and ongoing insecurity due to the presence of Shabaab meant Somalis were handed a "limited" election, in which 14,025 specially picked delegates voted for 275 parliamentary seats distributed according to clan.

Another 72 seats in a new upper house were shared out according to region.

The lawmakers will soon vote for a new president, however a date has not been set for the election, which has been delayed numerous times.

The 2016 process is seen as taking the country a step closer to a universal suffrage election now planned for 2020.</s>Mogadishu: Islamist militants rammed a car bomb into the gate of a hotel and stormed inside, killing at least 13 people in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, police said.

Gunfire rang out as fighters entered Dayah Hotel, which is popular with politicians. A second blast shook the area shortly afterwards, injuring several people nearby.

Colonel Abdiqadir Hussein, a police officer, told Reuters security forces later managed to secure the building.

"We have rescued the people and concluded the operation at Dayah hotel. The security forces are now inside the hotel and we shall give further details of casualty later," he said.

Another police officer, Major Mohamed Ahmed, said a dozen people had been wounded, in addition to the 13 killed who included members of the security forces and civilians. "The death toll may rise," he added.

Duniye Mohamed, a doctor at Madina hospital where some casualties were taken, said the injured included people with "very serious" wounds.

Islamist group Al Shabaab, which until 2011 controlled Mogadishu and much of Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Well-armed mujahideen (fighters) attacked the hotel, and now they are fighting inside the hotel," reported Somalia's Andalus radio, which is linked to al Shabaab.

The insurgents often launch bomb and gun attacks in the capital, saying they want to topple the Western-backed government and impose their strict interpretation of Islam on the nation.

In the past two years, a campaign by African Union troops and Somali forces has driven the group out of key urban strongholds, but it remains active from bases in rural areas.

The Horn of Africa country swore in nearly 300 members of its parliament last month. The lawmakers will also pick the president, although that vote has repeatedly been postponed.</s>Al-Shabaab, a jihadist terrorist group based in East Africa, on Wednesday triggered a massive car explosion near a popular hotel in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia and followed it with gun fire, killing at least 13 people in the process and injuring around a dozen, Al Jazeera reported.

A car packed with explosives rammed into Dayah Hotel in central Mogadishu and militants later opened fire trying to storm inside the building. There was an exchange of fire between them and security guards.

As ambulances were pressed to service and journalists started arriving on the scene, a second bomb went off, which injured four journalists.

Security forces, however, managed to secure the building following the gun attack. Major Mohamed Ahmed, a police officer, told Reuters that the casualty figures might rise.

Dayah Hotel is close to the country's parliament building and the hotel is popular with lawmakers, government officials and entrepreneurs. Several members of the parliament were said to be inside the hotel during the attack, the Associated Press reported.

The massive explosion has caused widespread damage and also destroyed neighbouring houses.

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Shabaab wants to remove the current government and turn the country into a fundamentalist Islamic state. It dislikes the western support to the current government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Al-Shabaab has been linked with Al-Qaida and uses terror attacks to prove its point.</s>MOGADISHU: Twenty-eight people were killed on Wednesday when Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a popular Mogadishu hotel, setting off two car bombs and opening fire on security guards, according to the city’s main ambulance service.

The attack, claimed by the al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab insurgents, began when a car loaded with explosives rammed the gate of the Dayah Hotel near the Somali parliament and state house.

Security sources said at least four gunmen then entered the compound and exchanged fire with security guards, but they were shot dead before reaching the main building where guests were staying. They were not counted among the 28 dead.

A second massive blast went off after ambulances and journalists had already rushed to the scene, leaving seven reporters with minor injuries, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

28 killed in attack on Mogadishu hotel was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on January 26, 2017 and was last updated on January 26, 2017. This news story is related to Print/181788-28-killed-in-attack-on-Mogadishu-hotel/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "28 killed in attack on Mogadishu hotel" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/181788-28-killed-in-attack-on-Mogadishu-hotel.</s>At least 13 people were killed in Somalia’s Mogadishu on Wednesday after gunmen crashed a car packed with explosives into the gate of Dayah hotel, Reuters reported. The hotel is said to be popular with politicians and government officials.

Islamist group Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack on a Telegram messaging account. “The mujahideen fighters have attacked a hotel and have managed to enter the hotel after detonating a car loaded with explosives,” read the statement by Al Shabaab, according to AFP.

The attackers stormed the hotel after the car bomb exploded and exchanged fire with security guards. A second blast went off after ambulances had arrived at the scene, leaving several injured, reported AFP.

The police said that all civilians were rescued, though the death toll may rise. The injured were taken to Madina hospital, where some of them were said to have “very serious” wounds. Dozens of people including lawmakers were said to have been inside the hotel at the time of the attack, a police official told AP.

Al Shabaab frequently attacks hotels and government buildings in Somalia in protest against the country’s government, which is backed by Western countries. On January 2, an explosion near the security checkpoint at Mogadishu’s international airport left three dead. The blast had occurred near the main base of the African Union peacekeeping mission, reported AP.</s>Fighters from Somalia's al Shabaab group rammed a car bomb into the gate of a hotel in the capital Mogadishu on Wednesday and then stormed inside the building, where politicians often stay.

 

 Gunfire rang out as fighters entered Dayah Hotel and a second blast shook the area shortly afterwards, police and witnesses said. Several people were injured and taken to hospital, and at least seven people were killed.

"So far we have counted about seven dead, most of them civilians and security guards. There are also many people who were wounded in the two blasts," said police official Ibrahim Mohamed. He said two gunmen had also been killed.

 

 Capt. Mohamed Hussein said dozens of people, including lawmakers, were thought to have been staying at Mogadishu's Dayah hotel at the time of the morning attack.

The Shabaab group claimed responsibility in a statement distributed on its Telegram messaging account.

 

 Al Shabaab, which until 2011 controlled Mogadishu and much of Somalia, often launches bomb and gun attacks in the capital, saying it wants to topple the Western-backed government.

In June, gunmen stormed the Nasa-Hablod hotel, killing at least 14 people. Two weeks before that, gunmen killed 15, including two members of parliament, at the Ambassador hotel.

Earlier this month, a bomb explosion at a restaurant in Mogadishu killed three, and a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a security checkpoint near Mogadishu's international airport, killing at least three. That blast occurred a few hundred meters (yards) from the main base of the African Union peacekeeping mission.

The assaults have threatened this nation's attempts to rebuild from decades of chaos. The presidential election, a key step toward recovery, already has been delayed multiple times because of security and other concerns.

In the past two years, a campaign by African Union troops and Somali forces has driven the group out of key urban strongholds, but it remains active from bases in rural areas.
Twenty-eight people are killed in a coordinated attack on the Dayah Hotel in central Mogadishu. The terrorist group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility.