Posted on 08/16/2020 12:38:56 PM PDT by BenLurkin
At least nine people have been killed and more than a dozen wounded in a gun and bomb attack by suspected al-Shabab fighters on an upmarket beachfront hotel in Somalia's capital, officials and witnesses have said.
Security forces were struggling to regain control of the Elite Hotel in the Lido beach area more than an hour after the assault began on Sunday, amid fears the attackers had taken hostages.
Among the dead are two government employees, three hotel security guards and four civilians, police officer Ahmed Bashane told the DPA news agency.
Military vehicles could be seen taking positions around the hotel in the night, with officials concerned the darkness could prolong the siege.
Captain Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press that the attack started with a powerful car bomb which blew off the security gates to the Elite Hotel. Then gunmen ran inside and took hostages, mostly young men and women who were dining at the hotel, he said.
Security forces have so far shot dead two of the attackers in the hotel amid fears of hostage crisis inside the complex, said Ismail Mukhtar, a spokesman of Somalias information ministry.
Aamin Ambulance, a Mogadishu-based private service, reported that at least 28 people were wounded.
Witnesses confirmed the attack began with a heavy explosion and reported that people were running from the area as gunfire could be heard from the hotel, which is frequented by government officials.
"The blast was very heavy and I could see smoke in the area. There is chaos and people are fleeing from nearby buildings," said witness Ali Sayid Adan.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but it was similar to others carried out by the al-Shabab group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda.
(Excerpt) Read more at aljazeera.com ...
I hope this is resolved quickly because we have a giant family trip scheduled.
Some people did something.
Be sure to wear you face diapers.
Only interetsed in story if omar and her family are the hostages.............that didnt make it
There goes my vacation plans.
A religion of peace operation?
Oh, Somalia. I thought it sounded like England.
Sounds like a family issue
Vacationing in that hellhole?
As a veteran helicopter (MEDEVAC) pilot of Mogadishu I can say with certainty that the place is and always will be a shithole. We had one black pilot in our unit, when we left he said he would never refer to himself as an African-American again. He said he was an Black-American! He wanted no ties to those people whatsoever, tribalism is complete violence.
Send the “squad” over to work things out.
“Oh, Somalia. I thought it sounded like England.”
Then it would have been Mogadishire.
Well done.
Islam is to peace like democrats are to decency.
I always plan my summer vacation for the last week in August. I’ve heard that Mogadishu is lovely at this time of year but I fear that my timing might not be as great as I previously hoped. Should I cancel?
/s/ Who the hell would vacation in Somalia? Even Ilhan Omar fled this eternal shit hole!
She should go back. Her country needs her!
They have Hotels in Somalia?
You can cancel my reservation.
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