The number of people killed in an attack by jihadist militants on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu has risen to 13, a security commander said today.
The attackers struck the Hayat Hotel yesterday evening with two car bombs, before entering the facility while firing their guns and seizing control.
"We are getting information about five more victims confirmed dead and that makes 13 the overall number of civilians killed by the terrorists," Mohamed Abdikadir said.
Sounds of explosions punctuated the night as government forces tried to wrest control of the hotel back from the militants, witnesses said.
Large sections of the hotel were destroyed by the fighting, they said.
The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist group statements.
Al Shabaab has been fighting to topple the Somali government for more than 10 years. It wants to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The Hayat Hotel is a popular venue with politicians and other government officials but there was no immediate information if any of them had been caught up in the siege.
