MOGADISHU, (HargeisaPress) — Six civilians and four militants died when al Shabaab fighters attacked the Wehliya Hotel in the middle of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Friday, police said.
“Three fighters have been shot dead and another blew himself up inside the car bomb that hit the gate. The operation here is finished. So far we know six civilians died,” Umar Ali, a police officer, told Reuters from around the Wehliya Hotel.
Al Shabaab Islamist militants earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on the Wehliya Hotel and said they had also laid siege to another hotel in the city. There were no details on what had happened at the second hotel.
(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Andrew Roche)