Somalia: Al-Shabab attacks Mogadishu hotel

Source: BBC

Gunmen have stormed a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, causing fatalities, in an attack claimed by the Islamist group al-Shabab.

A vehicle bomb was detonated at the gates of the Naso-Hablod hotel before armed men entered the building, officials said.
The men then fired on people and reportedly took hostages.
Al-Shabab militants frequently carry out attacks in the city in their bid to topple the Western-backed government.

A spokesman for the group told Reuters news agency that it had attacked the hotel "frequented by the apostate government members".
The Naso-Hablod, in southern Mogadishu, is often used by politicians and tourists.

Earlier this month at least 10 people were killed and 50 injured in an attack on another hotel in the Somali capital, which was claimed by al-Shabab.
The al-Qaeda-linked group was driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still remains a threat and frequently carries out attacks in the city.
The government, with the help of African Union forces, is fighting al-Shabab militants in several parts of the country.