Hiiraan Online
Thursday, June 02, 2016
.jpg)
MOGADISHU (HOL) - After more than 12 hours of gunfire and explosions, Somali forces say they have killed the last of a group of heavily-armed Al Shabab fighters who attacked the Ambassador Hotel in the Somali capital Thursday.
Death toll has risen to 18 and more than 40 others were wounded during the attack which highlights challenges facing Somali government in securing the seaside city.
The attack started with a suicide car bomb at the gate of the hotel, followed by gunmen who have taken positions inside the building, taking many hostages.
The gunmen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades continued to hold out security forces throughout Wednesday night before troops entered the hotel on Thursday morning, killing the remaining attackers in the hotel.
Two Somali legislators Mohamed Mohamud Gure and Abdullahi Jama were among people killed in the siege.
Al Shabab claimed the responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted the hotel because it houses government officials.
However, defiant Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack, saying that his government would continue fighting ‘terrorists’.
“They staged this attack after suffered major blows in military operations by our national forces.” He said.