Somali forces end 30-hour hotel siege, army officer says

Gulf Today Report

Somali forces have ended a siege at a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, an army officer told the media on Sunday, adding that they were still clearing explosives scattered around the building.

Somali authorities on Sunday appeared to have ended a deadly attack on a hotel in the capital in which at least 20 people were killed.

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It took Somali forces more than 30 hours to contain the gunmen who had stormed Mogadishu's Hayat Hotel on Friday evening in an assault that started with loud explosions.

Somali police officers ride on their pick-up truck towards Hotel Hayat in Mogadishu, Somalia. Reuters

"We are still investigating the explosions of many plastic bags that have been scattered around the hotel," said Mohamed Ali, a military officer at the scene.

The French news agency Agence France-Presse earlier reported that all the gunmen had been killed, citing a security commander.

Friday's attack was the first such major incident since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took office in May.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Al Shabaab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The Hayat is a hotel popular with lawmakers and other government officials.