12 killed by Al-Shabaab terrorist attack in hotel

Reports have it that attackers stormed an international hotels in Mogadishu killing nothing less than 12 people.

The gunmen used a vehicle packed with explosives to blast their way inside the hotel before storming the building. 

 

The Sahafi hotel is a well-known place for good relaxation and got good patronage from government employees and businessmen. See more photos after the cut...

 However, the hotel has been used as the site of the kidnapping of two French security agents in 2009, one of whom later escaped while the other was killed by the Shebab insurgents during a failed rescue attempt.

 

 “Attackers exploded a car bomb to gain entry before going inside… we have reports of 12 dead,” policeman Abdulrahid Dahir said.

This won’t be the first time such attacks have been carried out in hotels in Mogadishu.

Although the government is yet to confirm if the attack had anything to do with Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab insurgents which is known for using car bombs driven by suicide bombers to break into a complex or a building, with more attackers following on foot.

Investigation is still ongoing.