Somali authorities on Sunday regained control of a hotel in Mogadishu where gunmen killed 21 people and wounded dozens more, after a more than 30 hour stand-off.
The siege of the Hayat Hotel in the Somali capital ended around midnight Saturday, after gunmen initially stormed the building Friday evening, police commissioner Abdi Hassan Hijar told reporters.
The attack involved explosions outside the hotel and gunfire. AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh
Security forces patrol at the scene. AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh
“During the attack, the security forces rescued many civilians trapped in the hotel, including women and children,” he said.
A whopping 117 people were wounded, with at least 15 in critical condition, officials said.
Police are yet to give a detailed explanation of how the attack unfolded and it remains unclear how many gunmen entered the hotel.
Ismail Abdi, the hotel’s manager, told the AP early Sunday that security forces were still working to clear the area. No more gunfire could be heard after 9 a.m. local time.
The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has ties with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest of its frequent attempts to strike places visited by government officials.
