Donation Amount. Min £2

The group sieged the Hayat Hotel on Friday [source: Getty]
 
At least 12 people have been killed in an attack by Al-Shabaab, an Islamist insurgent group linked with al Qaeda, in the Somalia capital Mogadishu.
 

At least 12 people have been killed in Somalia's capital Mogadishu after Al-Qaeda-linked militants attacked a hotel, seizing control in a siege that authorities are still battling to end, an intelligence officer told Reuters on Saturday.

The attackers blasted their way into the Hayat Hotel on Friday evening with two car bombs before opening fire. Somalia's Al-Shabaab insurgents have claimed responsibility.

"So far we have confirmed 12 people, mostly civilians, died," Mohammed, an intelligence officer who only gave one name, told Reuters. "The operation is about to be concluded but it is still going on." 

The detonations sent huge plumes of smoke over the busy junction on Friday night, and the sound of gunfire still crackled across the capital by 0700 GMT on Saturday.

Sounds of explosions punctuated the night as government forces tried to wrest control of the hotel back from the militants, witnesses said.

Large sections of the hotel were destroyed by the fighting, they said.

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

The al Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist group statements.

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 Hotel is a popular venue with lawmakers and other government officials. There was no immediate information on whether any of them had been caught up in the siege. By New Arab Staff & Agencies, New Arab

About IEA Media Ltd

Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.

To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.

We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.

Get in touch

Our Offices

London, UK
+44 7886 544135
editor (@) informereastafrica.com
Slough, UK
+44 7957 636854
info (@) informereastafrica.com

Latest News

Transforming agrifood systems in East and Southern Africa: Shaping the 2025–2030 Agenda

Transforming agrifoo...

CGIAR, through its Regional Integrated Initiatives (RIIs), has been working on scaling affordable, c...

UN judge 'exploited and abused' Ugandan woman she kept as enslaved while in UK

UN judge 'explo...

Judge Lydia Mugambe (photo credit: UNITED NATIONS) Mugambe was appointed to the UN's judicial roste...

Briton killed by vehicle in Ruto’s motorcade on Ngong Road identified

Briton killed by veh...

Authorities have identified the British national killed in a fatal road accident near Adams Arcade,...

AfDB gives Sh28.8b for Kenya-South Sudan road

AfDB gives Sh28.8b f...

Kenya National Highways Authority road under construction. PHOTO/Print The trade route between Keny...

For Advertisement

Big Reach

Informer East Africa is one platform for all people. It is a platform where you find so many professionals under one umbrella serving the African communities together.

Very Flexible

We exist to inform you, hear from you and connect you with what is happening around you. We do this professionally and timely as we endeavour to capture all that you should never miss. Informer East Africa is simply news for right now and the future.

Quality News

We only bring to you news that is verified, checked and follows strict journalistic guidelines and standards. We believe in 1. Objective coverage, 2. Impartiality and 3. Fair play.

Banner & Video Ads

A banner & video advertisement from our sponsors will show up every once in a while. It keeps us and our writers coffee replenished.