Friday March 15, 2024
Vehicles of Somali security officers are parked near Syl Hotel, the scene of an al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group's attack, in Mogadishu, Somalia March 15, 2024. REUTERS/Feisal Omar Purchase Licensing Rights
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali security forces have ended a deadly hours-long siege by Al Shabaab militants who stormed a popular hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, on Thursday night, Somali National Television reported on the social media platform X on Friday.
The Islamist group has attacked the SYL Hotel before, which is popular with government officials.
Reports indicate that three al-Shabab militants entered the hotel after multiple explosions followed by gunshots. Several people were injured and killed in the attack, though the exact number of casualties remains unknown.
Hassan Nur, who escaped by scaling a wall, said: "I don't know about the casualties, but there were many people inside when the attack started."
Other witnesses reported seeing police arriving within minutes of the attack, which triggered a gun battle with militants.