Al-Shabaab has stormed the Hotel Ambassador in Mogadishu, Somalia after detonating a car bomb at the gates of the hotel, witnesses have reported.
The Somali terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack. It will be recalled that the Islamist group launched a similar attack in Mogadishu last year, killing 15.
At least 10 people were killed in today’s attacks according to BBC News reports.
According to the Somali National Intelligence & Security Agency, one of the gunmen has been killed and two more remain inside the hotel. Ten people have reportedly been rescued from the hotel, according to CNN.
The siege came hours after the commander behind last year’s Garissa University College attack in Kenya, Mohamed Mohamud, was killed in Somalia. The Garissa University attack left 148 people dead, most of whom were students.
Conflict News, which curates breaking news reports on global conflicts, posted a video on Twitter of smoke rising above the Ambassador Hotel in Mogadishu.