At least 26 dead in Somalia hotel attack
Somali forces ended an all-night siege on a hotel in the southern port city of Kismayo on Saturday morning, but the death toll has risen to 26 people, including a prominent Canadian-Somali journalist and several foreigners, The Associated Press reported.
According to the source, those killed include three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans, one Canadian and one Briton, said Ahmed Madobe, the president of Jubbaland, the regional state containing Kismayo. Fifty-six people, including two Chinese citizens, were injured in the hotel attack, he told reporters.
At least four Shabab militants attacked the Asasey Hotel on Friday evening. A suicide car bomb at the entrance gate was followed by gunmen storming the hotel, which is frequented by politicians and lawmakers.
The attack lasted more than 14 hours. Troops eventually shot dead all attackers inside the hotel compound, Col. Abdiqadir Nur, a local police officer, told The Associated Press.