At least 15 dead in Al Shabaab attack on Mogadishu hotel

Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist group launched an attack on a hotel in the centre of Mogadishu killing at least 15 people, police say.

“At least seven people died in the blast and 10 others were wounded. We have rescued many people from the back door,” police major Ali Hassan said.

“They started with a suicide bomb and then stormed in. Now they are inside and the heavy exchange of gunfire continues,” Major Nur Farah told Reuters.

He said Nasahablood hotel had been targeted.

Al Shabaab which frequently carries out attacks in the capital in its bid to topple the Western-backed government. has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack comes just over three weeks after that of the Ambassador Hotel, in which 10 people were killed on June 1.

Muslims in Somalia and around the world are observing Ramadan. In previous years, al Shabaab has often intensified attacks during the fasting month, often picking targets where people gather just before or after breaking the fast.

Reuters